A Gift And A Curse
by Quantumphysica
Summary: "Mom calls my dad an idiot, my dad says mom is crazy... Neither of them is a good reference, so I've decided to form my own opinions." It's never easy being young, but for some it's harder than for others. A story about torture curses, muggle tech, gossipy portraits, family issues and trying to find a place in a world full of contradiction...
1. 5 Death Eaters Go To The Hospital

**Hello and welcome to my first HP fanfic! It's slightly AU, but tries to follow the main events as good as possible. I hope to get your comments and critics, because I really want to improve! **

Rodolphus Lestrange had done a number of things in his life he shouldn't be proud of. Nevertheless, he was. He also prided himself in being a stoic, a pragmatist, and very hard to shock. Nevertheless, there was not much left of his stoic façade when he was knocking on the door of Malfoy Manor. The door swung open and showed a very annoyed looking Lucius Malfoy in his morning robes.

"Merlin's beard, it's 6 in the morning!"

"Lucius you HAVE to help me!"

The blonde Death-Eater raised an eyebrow at his colleague, still standing in the door opening.

"Whatever it is, the answer is no."

"Lucius, don't be such an ass! I'll owe you big time, will you just listen to me?"

"Fine, I'll listen. Come in. Before you start, you can't stay here. Narcissa is 8 months far, she can't have any stress now."

"It's Bellatrix. I have to get her to St. Mungo's and really I can't do that alone!"

Lucius smirked.

"Decided to have her admitted at last, Rod?"

"No! She's having a fucking baby and it's seriously not normal how much she's screaming and I don't have polyjuice potion so I can't disguise her and it's really, really, REALLY crazy and I've never been so fucking scared in my life!"

Now his eyes widened in surprise.

"A baby? How did you do that?"

"Err… I don't have to explain that to you, do I? I mean, you performed pretty well yourself you just told me."

"No, I mean, I just thought that when a woman uses as many Unforgivables as your wife does it would render her infertile…"

Lucius looked pensively at his brother-in-law, who looked even more flustered now.

"We thought so to, it was an accident, but she wanted to keep it and now I'M IN DEEP TROUBLE!"

"Just calm down a bit. I'm going to redress and I'll see what I can do. I'm only doing it for Narcissa, and know that you'll owe me, Rod!"

He left Rodolphus pacing in the hallway, and went up to his room. Narcissa was awake too.

"What's going on? Who is there?"

"Just your sister's husband, Rodolphus. Apparently Bellatrix's having a baby, and dear Rod's not entirely accustomed to the screaming. You'd think otherwise, as fond as he is of torture. I'm going to see what the fuss is all about."

Immediately his wife was out of bed, glaring at him.

"That's my sister you're talking about! I'm going with you!"

"Cissa, that's…"

"No, I'm going with you."

And Lucius Malfoy knew from the look in her eyes that any resistance would be futile. He sighed and internally prayed that this would end well.

_(Pagebreak)_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

"Yeah. I see where you're coming from."

Rodolphus cringed every time his wife's screaming echoed through the house. Bellatrix was lying on the bed, screaming her throat hoarse, her back arched and limbs in odd angles, as if she was truly under torture. It was not a pretty sight, even Lucius had to admit that. Narcissa frowned at the men's apathy.

"I'm going to find that useless brother of yours Rod, and then we bring her to St Mungo's."

"What has Rabastan to do with this?"

"The more the merrier, I guess?"

Lucius seemed to take it all in strife. Secretly Rodolphus hoped Narcissa's delivery would render the blonde as flustered as he was now…

_(Pagebreak)_

A little later the group apparated in St Mungo's, consisting of a screaming Bellatrix, a flustered Rodolphus, an uncomfortable and confused Rabastan, an excited Narcissa and one Lucius Malfoy, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there. With drawn wands –not easy for Rod who was supporting his wife, they threatened the hospital personnel. The Welcome Witch was pale white and looked as if she was ready to faint. Narcissa yelled.

"We need assistance, NOW!"

"W-w-what…"

"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!"

Rabastan read the names of the different floors. Artefact Accidents? The pregnancy had definitely been an accident, but Rabastan doubted a baby counted as an artefact. Creature-Induced Injuries? He was tempted, but he rather not had his nose broken by his brother. Magical Bugs and Diseases? The same actually. Then there were Potions and Plant Poisoning, not very likely, and Spell Damage. How had he never noticed this hospital didn't have a maternity ward? He was broken from his thoughts when Lucius pulled him with them.

"They're putting her on Spell Damage. I would have put her on Creature-Induced Injuries, if anything…"

Rabastan was very happy he would get to see Lucius have his nose broken very soon.

_(Pagebreak)_

The Healer-in Charge of the Spell Damage ward had seen a lot already, but the way Bellatrix Lestrange screamed and cried while not quite managing to push her child out was not like anything he had ever seen. Not to mention the small crowd of death-eater family members that had gathered with her. He connected the death-eater profession with fear, but not exactly the fear that was written on Mr Lestrange's face. While pointing his wand at the healer the man asked, worriedly.

"She's gonna be okay, isn't she?"

"I'll… s-see what I can do…"

Rodolphus gave the man a dark stare.

"If she dies I'm personally going to kill your whole family, children first and you last."

"She's gonna be all right."

The healer choked out. He quickly gathered as much personnel as possible. Soon they concluded there was nothing remotely abnormal going on with the delivery, apart from the fact it seemed to hurt the mother as much as a cruciatus curse would, a very well-directed and absolutely heartfelt cruciatus curse at that. One of the nurses whispered.

"How is she even conscious?"

"Magic? Iron will? Pure evil keeping her up? I have no idea…"

"Conscious or not, if this goes on she'll not be quite sane in the end…"

"As if she was to begin with."

The healers managed to speed up the delivery and at long last, after much tormented screaming, threatening hexes to the ceiling and eye-rolls from Lucius Malfoy, the baby was out and the screaming subdued. Bellatrix looked rather surprised when she was handed the baby.

"Congratulations Mrs Lestrange, you have a healthy baby girl."

That drew a remarkably gentle smile from the death-eater's lips. She held the girl and softly rocked her. With a hoarse voice she whispered.

"You, little one, have just hurt me more than anything I've ever felt. You're a talented little girl, you… Yes you are… You're a little living cruciatus curse, you…" Bellatrix chuckled. "You're going to do great things, little one… I just know it."

The Death Eaters knew they would have to leave soon, but for a little while they could just pretend to be a normal family. Bellatrix breastfed the baby as if she had never done anything else, lips folded in a strangely serene smile. Rodolphus couldn't stop himself from grinning with all the pride of a new father, and even Lucius who had tried his best to look annoyed couldn't help but coo at the new-born. For a few precious minutes none of them even thought about their daily occupations…

_(Pagebreak)_

"You can't do that."

The clerk at the registry office said, after hearing the name proposal from the hooded man before him.

"What do you mean, you "can't"?"

"It's not accepted to name a person after a curse."

"I know, I know, it's my wife's idea anyway. But you don't want trouble with my wife, seriously."

"I'm really sorry, but I can't register this name."

Rodolphus sighed. Of course.

"We'll see about that. _Imperio_!"

He smiled under her shadowed hood when the clerk got that vague look in his eyes and wrote down the necessary details. He took the birth certificate and necessary papers, and lifted the curse.

"Trust me, I did you a favour with that."

With that he apparated away to tell Bellatrix that Crucio Carina Lestrange was now officially an inhabitant of wizarding Britain. Deep down he already felt sorry for his daughter to have been "cursed" with such a name. No matter how much he did like that curse.

**(Author's Notes)**

**Yeah, yeah, non-canon character insert with a weird name, smells like Mary Sue doesn't it? I'm really trying not to make it one, I'm not a fan of those myself, so please, PLEASE comment and criticize with tips, I need your reviews! **

**Also. Yes. I am making the death eaters goofier than I should. Because I can. And because I am a secret fan of Rabastan Lestrange and I think he would be hilarious if given the chance. **


	2. How To Lose Your Whole Family In A Day

Time passed, and little Crucie grew to be the apple of her parent's eyes. They were still the most vicious of death-eaters, but to their daughter they were nothing but sweet. It was hard not to, seeing that the little girl was absolutely adorable. Even Lucius Malfoy couldn't help but be nice to her –only when no one was looking of course- as he was possibly a bit mellowed out by having a child of his own.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus led busy lives that often took them to the other side of the country, and Crucie had to stay at Malfoy Manor quite often, on involuntary play dates with her cousin Draco. It was on one of those that they discovered Crucie's hidden talent. The boys, Draco and his friend Theodore Nott, were playing wizarding war with fake wands and Crucie wanted to join.

"Whai cwan't I plway too?"

"Cus you're a giwl. Giwls no plway war."

"Yeah. Go plway kitchen. You can be a houwse elf."

The boys were already giggling, expecting the girl to cry any time now. Instead, she frowned and looked at them really angrily.

"You boys awe stupid."

And suddenly Draco and Theodore were hit by a scorching pain wave. They dropped to their knees, writhing and crying. The door flew open and Narcissa entered.

"Draco what are you do…! Oh…"

Crucie turned her head to her aunt and started crying.

"The boys say I cwan't plway war!"

Narcissa didn't fall for it.

"That's not very nice of them. But tell me Crucie, what did you just do to them?"

"I was mad."

"Is that all?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes Auntie Nawcissa, I didn't do anythwing."

"Hmm… Boys?"

The two boys were still trembling, tears tolling over their cheeks.

"I-it huwt! S-she… j-just l-l-looked and it huwt!"

"I see. Crucie, can you come with me for a moment? I would like you to tell this to Uncle Lucius."

"Am I in twouble?"

"No sweetie, of course not. And you Draco, next time you are nice to your niece!"

Crucie felt that something bad was coming, because Uncle Lucius was very strict and he always punished Draco when he did something wrong even when it was an accident. And this had been an accident, right? She didn't really understand what had happened herself, only that she had wished very bad things about Draco and his stupid friend. And then they just happened! Maybe she had wishing magic… Crucie tried to wish an ice cream, but none appeared. Apparently not then. Too bad. She really felt like having an ice cream.

Lucius sat behind his desk when Narcissa entered with the little girl. He looked up from his work.

"Yes?"

"Crucie wants to tell you something."

"Ah?"

Crucie bit her lip and blurted out.

"Draco and Theodowe were mean and I was mad and I looked at them and they huwt! And cwied! But I didn't mean to uncwle Lucius! It was an accidwent! Pwease don't punish me!"

Lucius cocked his head to the side a bit and looked at his wife.

"Cissa?"

"It's true. Could this be…?"

"With all the things your sister has done during the pregnancy I'm not at all surprised, actually. It could be useful in the future, if she learns to control it."

He looked at his niece and said.

"I'm not going to punish you, but you have to understand you can't just wish bad things about your family when you're mad."

"Is it wishing magic?"

A hint of a smile quirked Lucius' lip…

"Not quite… but perhaps a bit. When you want people to have pain, they will have pain. That's why it's very important not to wish that. Can you do that?"

Crucie found it all very exciting, and a bit scary too. But she was smart and immediately saw the advantages of this wishing magic thing. Draco would never dare to bully her again now! She nodded.

"Of couwse Uncwle Lucius."

"Very good. Now you can go back and play with the others."

When the girl had left the room, the Malfoy couple was free to speak out loud.

"Don't you think she's very young to be able to cast a wandless crucio? I mean, the only occurrences of that on such young age I've read about are in children who grew up in abusive environments. You don't think that…"

Lucius shook his head.

"No, not at all. Your sister may be batshit crazy, excuse me my words, but she would never hurt her daughter. It's probably the spells she cast during the pregnancy that have affected Crucie. We both know that Unforgiveables tend to do strange things to one's mind and body…"

"Poor girl."

Lucius shrugged.

"Think of it this way Cissa, of the three unforgiveables, the Cruciatus is the least bothersome to be stuck with. Imagine it would be the killing curse…"

Now Narcissa chuckled.

"Or the Imperius, as if she doesn't already get everything she wants just like that…"

_(Pagebreak)_

Bellatrix was exhilarated when she heard about her daughter's talent.

"How wonderful!"

"Bella…"

"Cissy, don't you find it a wonderful coincidence? I picked the perfect name!"

"Bella, she'll have trouble throughout her life. It's a birth defect!"

Bellatrix glared at her sister.

"There is nothing defective about my little girl! She's perfect just the way she is. It's a gift, this talent of hers, and I will teach her how to deal with it."

Bellatrix held word. She trained Crucie in the art of Occlumency with simple games and taught her how to control her thoughts and wishes so she wouldn't accidentally curse people for one, but Crucie also learned to channel her energy to deliberately use her talent. Very soon she could be found all over the house looking for victims to test her new skill on. Besides the obvious birds, insects and occasionally passing cats her favourite subjects were the other death-eater children. Draco learnt soon enough not to anger his niece, but the others weren't as smart. Especially Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle excelled in stupidly annoying Crucie time after time again, until even Theodore gave up trying to warn them and just sat back to watch the show.

By all means Crucie had a happy childhood, for a while. Her parents loved her and the other death eaters –especially Rabastan Lestrange and Alecto Carrow- spoiled her rotten. Unfortunately her happiness didn't last too long. She was only four when the unthinkable happened, the Dark Lord fell at the hands of the baby boy "who lived", and it left the death eaters in complete disarray.

Little Crucie had no idea what was going on when Bellatrix entered her room with a panicky look on her face, and ordered her to pack a bag as fast as she could. It was the Disaster Plan, which she had practiced a thousand times with Uncle Lucius, so in no time Crucie had her necessities gathered. Her mother flooed with her to Malfoy Manor, hugged her tight, and disappeared almost immediately again, off to a mission that was clearly different from all the others. All night Crucie waited in front of the fireplace for her parents to return like they always did… When she woke up the next morning on the carpet and spotted her aunt with teary eyes sitting dejected at the kitchen table, she knew they hadn't come back. Only four, and she already knew. Later that day Uncle Lucius called her to his office, looking rather worse for wear. He spoke of very difficult concepts to her, things like veritaserum, death eater trials and Azkaban, forgetting she was just a scared four-year-old. It was only when Aunt Narcissa entered as well that he woke up from his thoughts and realized he had been talking to his little niece. The only thing Crucie truly realized from the conversation was that her parents were gone. Bad people had brought them to a bad place and they would not come back for a very long time. And even worse, Uncle Rabastan, Aunt Allie, Uncle Amycus and all the others wouldn't come over like they had used to anymore either, because the bad people might catch them. That night Crucie cried herself to sleep, wondering why everyone hated them so much…

**(Author's Notes)**

**Please, please, PLEASE review! I would love some feedback on this story, it's my first HP fic and I was super hesitant to post it because I'm terrified of creating a Mary-Sueish monster OC. Please review, Please, Pretty Please with a cherry on top? **


	3. Angry Wands And A Suspicious Moustache

Time passed. Crucie lived with the Malfoys for a few years, and soon there was no trace left of the careless little girl she had been. There was something inherently sad about the Malfoy Manor and its inhabitants since the fall of the Dark Lord. The Manor had always been a gloomy old house, but since the Death Eaters didn't fill it with their babbling, cursing and laughing anymore the depressed nature of the place had become much worse. Old magical properties soak up the memories and emotions of those who live there, and throughout the years the black bricks of the Manor had gotten saturated with a very thorough sort of despair. The Malfoy couple didn't notice it so badly anymore, as they had lived their all their life, but the dejected environment had a strong effect on Crucie. It made Lucius decide to contact Rabastan Lestrange despite the dangers of it. A little later Crucie was ordered once more to pack up her things, to move to Rabastan's large bachelor pad in London. Despite it being another big shock for the girl, the decision turned out to be the right one.

In-between learning how to cook with canned food and magical magnetron meals, and helping her uncle with shady deals on Knockturn Alley, Crucie regained her happiness. By the time she was eleven and thus ready to go to Hogwarts, she was a joyful girl with a lot of tousled black curls, the dark eyes of her mother and the sharp nose that was characteristic of the Lestrange family. Her love of torture hadn't subdued, and thanks to Rabastan's not too legal dealings she often had "volunteers" to play with. If anything had made her happy, that was it. She was so used to the life she led –cooking, torturing, and hanging around on Knockturn Alley- that she had completely forgotten about going to Hogwarts. The letter thus came as a complete surprise.

"Uncle! Uncle LOOK!"

She yelled, skipping to Rabastan's study, the letter flapping in her hand.

"It's my Hogwarts letter! I'm going to Hogwarts!"

Rabastan wasn't as excited as she was. He was of all the Death Eaters probably the most careless one, but that didn't stop him from worrying about his brother's daughter. He read the letter and his head started filling with possible problems, going from the child-of-two-death-eaters thing to whether Crucie would be bullied with her first name, how he would hide his own identity and whether she would be able to control her talent if provoked. When Crucie saw her uncle's expression, her mood dropped. Sounding depressed in an instant, she uttered.

"I can't go, can I?"

And Rabastan knew that actually she couldn't, she had been home-schooled up to now and anything else would be dangerous, for him and the other death eaters as well as for Crucie herself. Still he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Of course you can go. I will talk to Lucius and see what can be done."

It got rewarded with a sudden hug, and a broad smile on the girl's face.

"Thank you uncle! I love you!"

With that she danced away, probably looking for something to torture. As he watched her go, Rabastan shook his head. Crucio Lestrange was a strange girl, a strange and highly unusual combination of precocious seriousness, childish glee and ruthless lack of empathy. Not a day passed without him wondering about Crucie's nature, how she had managed to stay so happy and excited even with her very dark talent. The control she had over it was exceptional; he had known very few people who could cast a wandless crucio, and mostly only when in great peril or under strong provocation. Crucie's pain curse could be angry, truly vicious, jesting, excited, and even happy… as if her magic knew exactly which nerves to press to get the right emotional response to the pain caused. Maybe she was still so cheerful because they had never branded her talent as an evil thing, he mused. Bellatrix had loved her all the more for it, Alecto had admired it, and his brother had said it was what made her special… in general all the death eaters had given nothing but positive responses to it. All perhaps but Narcissa, she had never quite gotten over her fear. All the better that Crucie didn't live there anymore. Even on Knockturn Alley she had gotten quite a reputation, the regulars there knew to respect dark magic... Or feel the consequences. It filled Rabastan with sorrow to think of what she might go through at Hogwarts, that bastion of white magic and ethical concerns…

_(Pagebreak)_

Crucie was entranced with Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley was narrow and shady and full of businesses selling cursed items and little cafes where dark wizards drunk possibly illegal brews while bartering over dragon's eggs or betting body parts on illegal creature fights. It was as familiar as Rabastan's pad to her and she loved it, the way it resonated with her being and reminded her of her parents. But Diagon Alley was different. It was long and light and people were walking while laughing, chatting without hoods covering their eyes and eating ice cream while staring at the displays in shop windows. Something about it was so inherently different from everything Crucie had ever known that she immediately fell in love with it.

"Oh uncle this is amazing! Can I have an ice cream? Please?"

The death eater sighed. He hadn't taken polyjuice –he hated the stuff- but a little adjustment to his haircolor, nose shape and clothing style did more than enough to disguise him. Crucie was still herself, splitting image of her mother at that age –with a different nose- wearing dark black robes but strangely enough also a big red velvet bow in her curls and red stockings. Traditionally she should wear all black, but Rabastan was particularly bad at resisting Crucie's pleading face, and so the accessories had happened.

"Sure we can have an ice cream. But first we must buy your wand."

Crucie laughed out loud and skipped alongside her uncle, who felt hugely uncomfortable in the openness of Diagon Alley. In Ollivander's shop they were met by the old man himself, who smiled mysteriously when he caught sight of the girl.

"Ah, another young one for Hogwarts, am I right?"

Crucie nodded excitedly.

"Let's get you measured up, shall we!"

The measuring tape flew around Crucie, starting to measure the oddest things from the distance between her eyes to the length of her middle finger and the diameter of her earlobe. It tickled and Crucie giggled undisturbed. This was Diagon Alley after all; it felt like a place where you could giggle loudly without catching glares.

The wand maker watched his clients attentively, and something in his gaze darkened when he apparently realized who they were. Rabastan prepared to curse him, but then Ollivander said.

"Well well… you look an awful lot like your mother, young lady."

Crucie's mouth fell open, and excitedly she asked.

"You knew my mother?"

"She bought her wand here as well, if I remember correctly. Walnut, 12 and 3/4th inches, extremely unyielding with a core of dragon heartstring… A wand for a brilliant and ruthless witch…"

It pleased Crucie to no end that Ollivander called her mother brilliant and ruthless. After all, those were great qualities uncle Lucius had often claimed she had inherited too. Therefor she didn't understand the look of slight pity in the wandmaker's eyes. Maybe it was because he knew Bellatrix was in prison now…

"Well, let's see if we can find a good wand for you…"

Ollivander went into the back of his shop and returned with a few wands.

"Try this one first."

Crucie took the wand, but it was as if she repulsed the wooden thing, it seemed to tremble in her hand trying to escape, producing some kind of smoke. She looked at Ollivander for help. The wandmaker took the wand from her, almost caressing the thing to seemingly calm it.

"No, that one isn't it. Not too surprising, but I had to try, you never know… 12 inches, willow and unicorn hair… No, then this one."

The next wand was beautiful, long and ornate and Crucie couldn't help but admire it. Unfortunately, this wand remained completely still in her hand, like a dead piece of wood.

"Oh, that one doesn't seem to agree with you at all… I think it's ignoring you." Ollivander chuckled. Crucie immediately didn't want the thing anymore. She didn't need a wand that insulted her with non-activity. Uncle Rabastan was getting annoyed, but she didn't let it get to her. Mr Ollivander looked sorrowful when he handed her the third wand. Almost immediately when she touched the dark wood, a tremble went to the wand and the waste bin –which Crucie had accidentally pointed the wand at- flew ablaze.

"_Aquamenti!_ " The wandmaker's spell splashed water on the flaming bin. "Oh dear, that wand is very, very delighted with you, it seems… a bit too delighted even…"

Trembling herself, Crucie put the wand back on the desk.

"It's an angry wand."

That drew a smile from Mr Ollivander's lips.

"Oh yes, 13 inches, Yew and dragon heartstring… it is a very angry wand. It seems to like you though. It could be a good match for you, if you think you'll be able to tame it…"

Crucie shook her head.

"Do you have another one? I…" She slicked. "I think I need one that isn't as angry as I am sometimes."

Ollivander nodded, seemingly surprised.

"Oh yes. I think I know what you need."

The wand he handed her now felt perfect in Crucie's hand, and a beautiful spray of silver sparks was produced. Rabastan looked relieved that they would be able to leave soon.

"Hawthorn and dragon heartstring, 13 and a half inches. A wand for the paradoxical, very strong… known to accord very well with certain forbidden curses, yet also with healing magic…"

That made Crucie grin. It was the perfect wand for her; she was glad she had refused the Yew wand. It had been tempting, but not quite it. Uncle Rabastan paid, and when they finally left the shop Mr Ollivander said.

"Good luck in Hogwarts, Miss Lestrange…"

The rest of their trip wasn't as fun as Crucie had imagined, uncle Rabastan was skittish and paranoid and he kept adding extra features to his disguise until he looked so obviously disguised it made Crucie giggle.

"That moustache is so obvious, Uncle!"

"Hurry up. I don't like this place."

They went to buy quills, books, school necessities of all kinds, and finally Rabastan decided to make up for his mood by splurging on a pet for his niece. The animal shop was filled with sounds of all kinds, cawing, purring, hissing, and Crucie ran from cage to cage gawking at the animals. Unfortunately, it seemed she was all but good with them. The owls made mean sounds at her and refused to let her touch them, the snakes scurried away from her when she approached their cages, a raven tried to bite her hand and eventually Crucie was close to tears. She sobbed.

"Animals hate me."

"Nah, they don't. Maybe you're just not good with birds."

"And reptiles."

"That would surprise me. But maybe you need a different type of animal. Soft, cute, fluffy… a kitten, by example."

Rabastan led her to the mammal department, where they kept guinea pigs, kittens and cats, and all kinds of other fluffy creatures. The saleslady brought Crucie to the kitten cage and opened it, so she could put her hand in it. Kittens approached her, but it was as if they came too close they got a scare and scurried away like the snakes had done, heaping up in a corner of the cage. Only one kitten wasn't scared, and purred happily while rubbing it's little head against Crucie's hand. In her excitement Crucie accidentally cursed it… yet after a loud mew and a tremble the kitten just nestled itself against her hand again, purring even louder now. And so the decision was made, and Crucie went home with a cat bench, school robes, a bag full of books and a wand. She was absolutely satisfied. Back in the apartment, Rabastan dropped himself on the black leather couch.

"Never do that to me again! Next year you go shopping with the Malfoys, or someone else who isn't wanted for Merlin's sake!"

"Didn't you think it fun?"

"I didn't think it fun that the majority of people were giving me those unpleasantly suspicious looks."

"You were looking suspicious because of that moustache. It looked like a hairy caterpillar."

"Don't tease your old uncle, Crucie!"

"You're not old, you're younger than dad. And you're still young enough to have long hair and wear band shirts, so you can't possibly be old."

"Urgh."

Crucie laughed and went to cook something for the both of them. After that exhausting shopping trip they deserved it…

**(Author's Notes)**

**Rabastan Lestrange with a fake mustache. *LOL* In case you haven't noticed, I particularly like the youngest Lestrange brother. He's like... refusing to grow up, kind of. I think Knockturn Alley is a big playground for Crucie, after all she doesn't have to fear being defenseless thanks to her talent... I hope the older version of Crucie is still nice, and the wand-buying part wasn't too tedious... (I actually did research for that part, imagine that!)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love reviews, this story lives on its reviews! It requires them to survive otherwise I lose my taste for writing it! I tend to return the favor in case of review, so... please? For cookies and returned favors?**

**PS: There were KITTENS!**


	4. The Art Of Dealing With Assholes

"So you won't bring me to King's Cross Station?"

"And get caught by the Aurors? Didn't think so. Lucius has offered to take you along, and that would also accord with the story we've made up."

Lucius Malfoy had written a ton of letters to the Ministry and the Board of Directors of Hogwarts, explaining the sad case of Miss Crucio Carina Lestrange who currently lived with the Malfoy family, and how it would be much more beneficent for the already cursed girl to be free of her last name and take on the name of his wife. He was a good politician, and he had managed to convince the Board to not call her true name in the First Year Ceremony. Crucie had insisted she kept her first name, no matter how awkward it was. After all, her mother had chosen it and it was kind of the only thing she had left of her.

"Then I will have to share a compartment with that stupid Draco."

"You shouldn't speak bad of your blood relatives, Crucie. Your family is all you've got in the end."

"My family is large enough to sustain me calling one of its members stupid. Because he is, he's a stupid little creep."

Rabastan rolled his eyes.

"I'm only trying to advice you… The advantage of us Slytherins is that we're one big family. Don't place yourself out of that, you could make life very difficult for yourself."

Crucie shrugged.

"Who says I'll be in Slytherin? I mean, for all you know I'm in Hufflepuff."

Rabastan frowned deeply.

"No Lestrange has ever been in Hufflepuff, and a daughter of Bellatrix Black will not be the first!"

Crucie shrugged again.

"Still, there are two other houses next to Slytherin and Hufflepuff, I could be in any of those too."

"Yeah right."

That night, Crucie read the whole Hogwarts History Book and made a list of advantages and disadvantages of the Houses, to determine which house she would like to be in.

**_Slytherin_**

_+ Whole family is in Slytherin (family pride!)_

_+ Cunning, Ambitious, Intelligent, Resourceful… (Good qualities, hope I have them)_

_+ I look good in green!_

_+ Prof Snape is uncle Lucius' frenemy, so practically family too (family is good)_

_- "Most hated" of the houses (for some reason? According to the history book?)_

_- Draco will probably be in Slytherin. Urgh._

_- So much family heritage… Living up to a standard and stuff, double urgh._

**_Ravenclaw_**

_+ Smart people. I like smart people._

_+ Rather neutral. Neutrality is good too._

_+ Probably least bad of all the non-Slytherin houses, in my family's eyes_

_+ I don't look too bad in blue either…_

_- What if everyone's smarter than me?_

_- Smart-asses and pretentious pricks, possibly_

_- No family, so no family advantages_

**_Gryffindor_**

_+ Hope I'm at least a bit brave…_

_- They will hate me for my Slytherin heritage, probably…_

_- They may not like torture…_

_- I look horrid in red…_

_- I might get disowned, like Uncle Sirius…_

_- I don't think (except for being brave) a lot of house qualities apply to me…_

**_Hufflepuff_**

_+ Apparently nice-natured and friendly people…_

_- Yellow makes me look fat, and a bit like a hornet._

_- My family would definitely disown me… L_

_- None, but really none of the house qualities apply…_

_- Let's not even get started about torture… (Sigh)_

Slytherin would probably be for the best, she decided. Draco would be a nuisance but at least her family wouldn't be a pain about it then.

_(Pagebreak)_

On the train, Crucie made sure not to be in the same compartment as Draco and the other death-eater children. They were happy to see her go… Dragging her trunk behind her she looked for a free compartment. She finally found a compartment where a boy was crawling over the floor.

"Err… Hi?"

The boy looked up. He was a little chubby, but with a friendly face. He scrawled up and dusted off his robes, looking mighty uncomfortable.

"Oh… err… I'm sorry… I'm… I'm looking for my toad, Trevor. He's… maybe you don't want to sit here… I mean, you can sit here… if you like… but you might crush him… and then I…"

Crucie smiled widely.

"I can help you find him! When was the last time you had him?"

"I… I was walking through the corridor, and he jumped out of my hand… toads tend to do that, you know… And… well…"

"Where were you at that point?"

"Just two compartments away from this one… I thought I saw him jump into that compartment, but it was full of people and they assured me they hadn't seen him… So now I'm going through all compartments…"

The boy looked sad.

"That toad was a gift from my great-uncle Algie… and I've never had a pet before… And I just had him for a week!"

He looked close to tears, and Crucie put her trunk away and asked.

"In the one compartment, was there by any chance an annoying blonde guy with his hair all slicked back?"

"Oh yeah, he was really rude…"

Crucie frowned and made her way to the other compartment with big steps, followed by the other first-year who was clearly confused. She pulled open the door of the compartment she had fled only a little while ago and threw her most vicious look at Draco. Immediately the whole group paled…

"Have you by any chance seen a toad, Draco?"

Draco bit his lip and shook his head. Crucie frowned. She hissed.

"I think you do. Now, what's it gonna be, you give it back or I make you give it back?"

Draco was clearly determined to show strength to his friends, so he didn't budge, managed even to throw a provocative look at her. Crucie knew she couldn't downright torture him on the train, so she pointed her attention at the weakest link, Theodore Nott.

"What do you say, I play with Teddy a bit first?"

The boy immediately started trembling, grabbed in his coat pocket and handed her the toad.

"H-he made m-me put it away b-because he didn't want to touch it himself please don't hurt me!"

Crucie granted him her sweetest smile.

"Good boy."

With that she walked away, back to the chubby first year.

"Here's your toad."

His eyes widened and he gave her a big smile.

"Oh wow! How did you do that!? How did you know they had him? Are you a psychic?"

Crucie giggled.

"Nah, I just know that guy pretty well and he would totally hide someone's pet for fun, he's an asshole like that. And I tend to be very convincing when it comes to it."

"That is so cool!"

"What can I say? It's a gift and a curse!"

They both laughed and returned to their own compartment. Another girl was already sitting there now, she was blonde with huge eyes and a very distinct look of weirdness about her. Crucie immediately decided she liked her.

"Hi there!"

The girl laughed back.

"Oh hi! I'm Luna Lovegood. Are you a first year too?"

"Do I look like I'm not?"

The boy coughed.

"Err… actually you do."

"Ah no, I'm just proficient in the art of dealing with assholes. I'm Crucie. Who are you?"

"Neville. Neville Longbottom."

"Cool."

_(Pagebreak)_

Neville and Luna were nice to talk to, and Crucie found herself hoping that they would be in the same house. Luna talked about all kinds of weird creatures like Nargles and Gulping Plimpies, and it was just fascinating to listen to. Neville was very timid, but as Crucie had guessed also very friendly.

"So your toad is called Trevor?"

"Yeah… my great-uncle Algie gave him to me because I got my Hogwarts letter. I have never had a pet before… my grandmother hates them."

"You live with your grandmother?"

"Yeah… I… I do."

Neville suddenly looked mighty uncomfortable, so Crusie guessed it was a touchy subject.

"I live with my uncle, and he's a total slob. I think most of the time I'm cleaning up after him."

She said, trying to break the awkwardness. Luna put a hand on Neville's knee and just softly smiled, as if she understood something that Crucie had completely missed out on. She decided to put it on Luna's all-round mysteriousness.

"I have a cat. He's called Timor."

To show it, Crucie grabbed the cat bench and freed the now a little bigger kitten. It was fluffy and its pelt was the kind of black that looked blue in the right light. Luna immediately had it on her lap.

"What a beautiful creature… And such a special aura it has!"

"Animals have auras?"

"What is an aura?"

Crucie had learned a lot from her uncles and from the people on Knockturn Alley, like how to bind a curse to an artefact, how to conceal secret clauses in magical contracts and how to brew blood-boiling potion, but auras had never been mentioned.

"An aura is the magical representation of your personality, your being. Some people can see them, they're like radiance around one's head."

"So… what does mine look like?"

Luna just smiled.

**(Author's Notes)**

**I'm aware that Luna is actually a year younger than Neville and Crucie, in the canon. I just like her character too much to not put her in the story right away. Sorry. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! I am grateful for all my reviews, they make me want to write more and better, AND they feed my muse. A muse needs sustenance too, you know! Cookies for all reviewers... Critics are welcome too!**


	5. Calling The Curse By Its Name

Later on they were all together for the First Year sorting ceremony. Crucie was in awe with the ceiling, it was fascinating… She listened to the names being called, knowing that it would be her turn soon enough. First she had thought she would be up with Neville and Luna, but then she remembered the false name she had taken on. After Bittermole, Christina, who got sorted into Hufflepuff, they called.

"Black, Crucio!"

She saw Neville pale, for some reason. She also heard a girl whisper.

"Poor whoever that is…"

Crucie felt very awkward when she got up and walked to the sorting ceremony stool. She caught Neville's wide eyes before the hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm… Hmmm…"

Crucie heard the hat as if he spoke in her head, and she prayed.

"Please, just put me in Slytherin. I don't want to be in Hufflepuff. Please, uncle Rabastan would kick me out for that I think."

"Oh, you are no material for Hufflepuff, my dear… You're much too much like your mother for that… you would do well in Gryffindor though, like your uncle… But alas, if it's what you want, it'll be SLYTHERIN!"

That last word was yelled out, and under applause Crucie walked to the Slytherin table. All the children of Death Eaters, or somehow related to them, got placed there. Crucie heard Neville and Luna getting placed in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and for a moment she wished she had said she wanted to be in Ravenclaw. It would have been nice to have a friend. The rumours of the children that knew her spread fast around the table, and she noticed the other children eyed her a bit uncomfortably. A girl with brown hair and a particularly arrogant look on her face asked rudely.

"How did you ever get a named after an unforgivable curse?"

Crucie grinned and said.

"Why do you think?"

"Oh, maybe because your mom never forgave your dad for knocking her up with such an ugly child?"

Crucie bit her teeth and kept her smile up.

"Maybe you should ask Draco why exactly I'm called like that. I'm sure he would love to explain it, he's felt it first hand after all."

The girl kept looking arrogant, but there was a glint of apprehension in her eyes now. Success, Crucie thought.

"You can't cast unforgivables, you're not even allowed to do magic outside the school yet."

"Who says that?"

"The Ministry, duh."

The girl rolled her eyes and Crucie really had to restrain herself. She had never had her patience tested like this before… Maybe she should give it a go.

"Auch!"

"What?" Crucie asked most innocently, while she sent another short stroke of pain to the girl.

"Auw! Auwch! Aargh!"

"I think something's wrong with her" Crucie whispered seemingly concerned to her neighbour. It didn't go unnoticed for long. While the arrogant girl bit her lip in pain and looked like she wanted to curl up and cry, a shadow fell over Crucie.

"Crucio Black, I want to see you in my office after dinner. And stop doing that."

Professor Snape wasn't pleased. Sighing, Crucie stopped her little game and concentrated on her plate of food again. The girl that had been the subject of her torture had calmed down now –it had been a very light curse after all- and stared shocked at her. Crucie took a bite of her food and asked, almost sounding absentminded.

"How are you called, if you think your name is so much better?"

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson."

"I don't know if you know, but a pansy is a homosexual guy. I'd say that's not much better than an unforgivable curse to be named after."

"What?"

"Just saying."

There was a bit of a stare-down. Finally Pansy remarked.

"Your name is ridiculous, but that curse thing is pretty cool."

It was said gruffly, but the girl knew with the survival instinct of a Slytherin that Crucio Carina Black was not someone you wanted as an enemy, so they could better make friends. Crucie knew well enough though that she had won a possible ally, but not a friend. She should learn to think in different terms if she wanted to survive in the Slytherin House, that much was certain…

_(Pagebreak)_

"Lucius and Rabastan are idiots for letting you come here. You can't even control yourself for five minutes!"

Crucio yelled indignantly.

"She was provoking me!"

"Ten points from Slytherin for misdemeanour against your head of house, Miss Black! You don't have to expect favours from me!"

"I wasn't expecting favours, professor. I just wanted to point out that I did not start the fight."

Crucie adjusted her voice volume and tried to sound a bit more respectful. Snape gave her a piercing glare.

"If you can't take a verbal jest then I wonder what you're doing here, Miss Black. Your family may have mollycoddled you for quite some time, but the faster you learn the modern wizarding world is not tolerant towards people with your… gift, the better. If you're going to react to every provocation by living up to your name you'll be expelled by next month."

Crucie looked at the floor. Snape was right, and he wasn't even being mean about it. For years she had been allowed to torture random passers-by for fun and had she been able to practice her talent on a variety of creatures… that time was over now. She would have to learn to control herself better.

"I am sorry Professor Snape."

"I hope I won't need to have this conversation with you again. Now go to your dorm to unpack. The password is "snakeling" if I'm right."

Crucie didn't know the way, but some friendly portraits showed her. She had missed the tour, so she kind of would have to find it all out for herself. Everyone was already in the common room when she arrived, and they immediately started whispering when she came in. She ignored it and went to the dorms to unpack. She opened her trunk and was happily surprised to find a lot of things that hadn't been in it when she had packed it. There was a box of chocolate cookies, the silky emerald bedspread Narcissa had made for her on a blue Monday –maybe she let the house elves do it; Crucie knew nor cared- another bag of candy… and an envelope. It was a big, thick envelope of cream white paper, on which was written with a curly handwriting "For Crucio". That wasn't uncle Rabastan's handwriting, the death eater could barely write his name in a way other people could read it. Crucie smiled as she remembered he had told her how Alecto had always said they didn't need to charm their documents if they just made him take notes during the meetings; his handwriting was so hard to decipher it would place the Aurors for a mystery anyway. When she opened the envelope she found a few letters, each one with a ribbon around it. The first one was long and consisted of many parts in different handwritings.

_Hello Crucio sweetheart! I hope you'll have a lovely time at Hogwarts! This was your mother's idea, making us all write you, as if we wouldn't come see you off in person! The idea, right? I wish you all the best, and hope that you'll keep practicing that lovely talent of yours! Love, Alecto Carrow (that's aunt Allie for you dear)_

_Best wishes. Don't go out for a night swim in the lake, the merpeople are really creepy in the dark. (As if they're not creepy in the light, dirty creature bastards…) Amycus Carrow_

_Don't insult the Ravenclaw house ghost. EVER. The Bloody Baron (our house ghost) has haunted my dorm for weeks after it; ghost solidarity or something. Anyway, have fun! Rabastan Lestrange_

_Self control is everything, dear niece. Be careful with who you trust, but make sure to keep the ally/enemy ratio in your favour. I hope by the time you read this we'll have talked about this in person. Don't blemish your family's honor! Greetings, Lucius Malfoy _

_Dear Crucie, all the love for my favourite girl! I wish you the best, please be careful. You're already so much like your mother, but I still hope you won't try to break her record of detentions… By the way, the only other person I know who ever managed to reach that level of unruliness was Severus... He always wanted to be a professor, so if he is by now, don't tell him I told you! xxx, Narcissa Malfoy_

It went on for a while, all the Death Eaters she knew had written a few lines, giving best wishes, advices, silly anecdotes and sometimes even a useful spell or hidden portrait passage. It was as if they were there for a moment, when she read their words. That thought made Crucio's eyes teary; it had been so long since she had seen any of them, apart from the Malfoys and uncle Rabastan. Many were in Azkaban now, and she didn't even want to think about that. It was the place she had nightmares about… At long last she got to the second letter.

_My dear Little Curse, _

_If you're reading this, I wasn't there to see you off on your first trip to Hogwarts. It's a cliché way to start a letter like this, but it's the truth. _

_I made all our friends and family write a few words to you, just in case, because I know our profession is a dangerous one and we never know what might happen. I didn't want you to feel alone on your first day, regardless of what has happened to us. I give this letter to my brother-in-law, Rabastan, because if anyone will get away unscathed in case of peril it is he. He has always been a bit of an escape artist, a slippery bastard, as your father would say. _

_I hope I will have been there to see you grow up, but I know that when you're reading this I may have been gone for quite some time already. Know that I love you, no matter what. If I'm dead, and doomed as everyone believes us death eaters to be, I will think of you from the depths of hell and take every punishment with a smile because nothing can hurt me more than you did when you came into this world. _

_If I'm in Azkaban –and I hope not- I will think of you and your memory will be the only bit of happiness those wretched Dementors can't take from me. _

_I know life might be hard on you. Life is often like that on people who are exceptional in some way. Don't let it get you down, my dear. Life may be hard but I know you are made of a tougher material. You're my daughter after all… Sometimes I think all you inherited from your father is that nose. It is, admittedly, a pretty one. _

_I babble, and that is because you're still so small when I'm writing this, and it's so hard to imagine that one day you'll be standing on King's Cross Station with your trunk, ready to become an adult. It's so hard to imagine that I may not be there to see that. I'm looking at you while writing this; you're on the carpet busy stealing Draco's building blocks. With that image on my retina I find it hard to think of good advice to give to your future self._

_They call me crazy, and maybe I am. But in our craziness your father and I made you, so I don't care about it. Don't care about how they call you or what they say about you. Even if it's true, it's not necessarily all bad. I think everything has a good side (except perhaps Amycus Carrow on photographs, that man looks ridiculous no matter what side he's turned to) and it's up to you to find that side. If people mock you, if they are disgusted by you or cast you out, that is only because they are too blind to see the beauty of what you are and what you do. Don't be like that. Find that good side._

_It may be strange for a woman in my position to call out for open-mindedness, after all what they accuse us Death Eaters of is pure-blood-centric narrow-mindedness. I'm not so crazy that I'm not aware of that… We all have to make decisions on a certain point and I have made mine. I would like you to share my opinions, and I would truly hate to see you turn to the light side, that much is true. But you are your own person, and I will not impose my will on you like my parents did on me. Make your own decisions, and know their consequences. No matter what you choose and no matter the consequences that will have, your father and I will always love you. _

_With this I end the letter. All that remains to be said is gossip that will be meaningless by the time you read this. _

_With all my love, _

_Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black_

**(Author's Notes)**

**So, this is IMPORTANT. READ THIS. **

**Crucie is relatively unbiased, which is not a typical characteristic of purebloods, but it's caused by how she was raised. The first years of her life she was raised by whoever was around to do it (death eater missions and stuff often keeping her parents occupied) and that's why she considers all the death eaters part of her family. Also, since she was still rather young she didn't fully understand what was going on anyway. Then she lived with the Malfoys, but in that period she became depressed and withdrawn (and developed an intense dislike of Draco) and so whatever brainwashing they attempted didn't really sink in. And then she went to Rabastan, who is as I've stated a bit (very much) careless and not too concerned with Crucie's "political education". **

**Further: Crucie does not actually know occlumency; When she was a child Bellatrix taught her just enough to not accidentally curse everyone she laid eyes on. **

**I honestly thank Avalon Kore for this, because she asked the right questions and hopefully also got the right answers ;) **

**Then... Bellatrix may seem a bit out of character in the letter, but I'm just trying to convey that she doesn't follow Voldemort because she's crazy; she has made certain choices, set certain priorities, and lives her life according to those. And the letter was written pre-Azkaban obviously, so that adds to the relative sanity of it.**

**WOW. This was the longest Author's Notes section I EVER wrote. And it's not over yet. I still have to BEG FOR REVIEWS! *begs* PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! There are cookies for all my reviewers, and critics are always welcome too! **


	6. Everyone Notices The Nose First

Now Crucie was really crying. She held the letter to her chest while tears ran over her cheeks. There was one thing left in the envelope. An old photograph in faded colours of a posing group. She recognized Crabbe and Goyle, Amycus Carrow –who turned uncomfortably from side to side and indeed remained ridiculous looking no matter what he did- a much younger looking Lucius Malfoy who had the proud father grin, next to Narcissa who was holding a small blonde child, some death eaters she only had very vague memories of, they had probably died or gotten captured when she was still very young, Antonin Dolohov, Igor Karkaroff, Severus Snape, Alecto Carrow, the Notts and their son, the Averys, and there, in the middle of the picture, her parents. Bellatrix with her tousled curls –Crucie immediately felt her hand reach out for her own hair- was smiling while holding a little child on one arm, and with the other arm she was trying to smooth Rodolphus' collar. The whole group was like that, for a moment they posed and then they resumed all kinds of activities, like trying to find a good stance, smoothing their hair, saying something to their neighbours… It wasn't that she hadn't seen magical photographs before, but this made Crucie cry even more. It was the first moving photograph of her mother she ever saw...

"Hey… Are you okay?"

Crucie turned, and saw a brown-haired, not unfriendly looking girl. She quickly hid the photograph.

"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't be like this."

"Oh no, it's okay. Are you homesick? Millicent, that's one of our roommates, she's homesick too. She's hiding in the toilet and Tracey is trying to talk her out of it."

"I missed the tour, so… I don't know anyone…"

"Oh, you're that girl that got detention right away, aren't you? Pansy told us."

"Just a stern talk, not detention."

"Snape is creepy, right? I'm Daphne Greengrass, by the way."

"I'm Crucio Black. Please call me Crucie."

Daphne looked a bit uncomfortable now.

"Is it true what they say, about you knowing how to do unforgivables?"

Crucie didn't know what to say. Daphne facepalmed.

"I'm so unthinking, I'm questioning you while you're homesick! You must think me a terrible person."

"It's okay, really."

"No, I'm so sorry. Please, tell me a bit about your home. It may seem strange but it really helps."

"It's… complicated. It's just… I haven't seen my parents since I was very little. They… they had an accident. But my mother left me a letter for my first day at Hogwarts, and I just found it in my trunk. That's why I cried…"

Daphne now sat on Crucie's bed, and she had put an arm around her.

"I know it doesn't help, but I'm really sorry. Where do you live then, if your parents…"

"My uncle took me in. He has this pad in London…"

"Wow, you live in the city? That's so awesome! I live with my sister and parents in the Greengrass Manor and it's terribly far away from everything."

"It's not always fun, my uncle is a total slob, he even leaves dirty underwear on the couch."

"Urgh, that sounds horrible! Don't you have house elves to clean up for you?"

"No, he says there's not enough work for an elf in our apartment."

Daphne laughed.

"I can see you would disagree!"

Crucie laughed as well.

"He's not the greatest housekeeper, but he's nice. He spoils me rotten, and then I mean mostly my teeth."

She held out the bag of candy for Daphne.

"Please save my denture from an early death and help me eat these!"

They both ate candy, while exchanging little bits of information. Crucie heard about Daphne's little sister Astoria, the long history of the Greengrass Family in herbology and related disciplines, and their family's shopping trips to Paris. They compared their wands and Daphne was greatly impressed when she heard the story of the Yew Wand and the flaming dustbin.

"Did you know Yew is one of the most powerful woods for wands? It is fierce, angry, dark and strong, and yew wands only choose the most fearsome owners…"

"How do you know that?"

"Herbology family, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

They chatted for a while, respecting the unsaid things that hung between them. Crucie could feel the questions Daphne wanted to ask, but the girl didn't and Crucie didn't encourage her. For now she would keep her secrets, until she knew where these people's loyalties lay. She would heed her uncle Lucius' advice and be careful with who she trusted…

_(Pagebreak)_

Time passed, and days became weeks. Crucie managed to solidify her position within Slytherin… The rumours spread by the death eater children made sure that she became a notorious face, and her name only helped with that. The Black family had a long history in the dark arts after all, and with a first name like hers you just couldn't be up to any good. The girls, led by Pansy Parkinson, formed a clique that Crucie became part of, but only reluctantly. She couldn't afford to lose their alliance, but they weren't friends either. Between her and Pansy there was a constant rivalry over nothing in particular, and only the rare personal conversations with Daphne made it a bit better. It was truly exhausting… Neville Longbottom avoided her more than anything, and guessing he was just scared Crucie hadn't started to stalk him. Between the Ravenclaw Tower and the Slytherin Dungeon there was quite a distance, and the houses had barely any lessons together, so she didn't see Luna that often either. Sometimes, at night, she looked at the magical photograph, taken after a death eater meeting somewhere around her first birthday. Everyone looked so… happy. The memories of her childhood were fading fast, but the sense of content and happiness had always stayed with her. Remembering that made the coldness of her current relations all the worse. To avoid having to be around people too much, she started looking for secluded corners and deserted classrooms to spend her time with her books and homework. One corridor, half blocked, she liked especially because it had a chair and a table and an empty portrait frame and most of all because it looked like a dangerous place no one ever came there. It was there where she decided to write a letter to Rabastan. Unfortunately, her only quill broke when she wanted to start writing.

"AAARGH!"

"Pleassssse… you are dissssturbing the quiet."

Crucie looked around her, but didn't see the source of the unusual hissing voice.

"Above you…"

She looked up and saw the portrait of a strict looking man with a pointy white beard and black robes. He looked inquiringly at her, and Crucie felt like she had to apologize.

"Oh. I'm sorry. My quill broke. And I… I guess I just lost it a bit. I'm… I'm a tit bit on edge lately."

"Why are you not in your common room to ssssstudy?"

"I… I don't like people too much. And when I lose my patience with them I hurt them and I don't want to get expelled."

"Underssstandable… What isss your name, young lady?"

"Promise you won't laugh."

The portrait raised eyebrows.

"I thought ridiculoussss names were a part of the passssst…"

"It's Crucio. Crucio Carina Lestrange."

She didn't know why she said her real name, but somehow she knew the portrait wanted the truth and the truth only. The bearded man slowly nodded.

"Ah… That nose indeed…"

Crucie frowned.

"Is that seriously the first thing people notice?"

"It issss very noticable…"

The man smiled, but it looked uncomfortable, as if he didn't smile too often. Crucie carefully asked.

"So… you knew my parents?"

"Twould be unbecoming ssssshould I not know ssssuch notable members of my own housssse… Don't you think?"

Crucie was a little shocked, as she suddenly recognized the man in the portrait from a picture in her Hogwarts History book.

"You… you are Salazar Slytherin?"

"The one and only. Thissss is my ssssecluded portrait… I come here not to have to talk to those otherssssss…"

Crucie smiled.

"Oh, so you don't like people either?"

Salazar rolled his eyes.

"They gossssip. All. The. Time. Assss a portrait, there issss not much elsssse left to do…"

"The girls in the common room gossip too. Mostly about boys, or about me, or about Harry Potter."

The Slytherin founder chuckled dryly.

"Issss Harry Potter not a boy?"

Crucie blushed.

"Well, the gossip's slightly different. He's a boy, but he's also the Boy-Who-Lived and stuff… And he's a Gryffindor so the Slytherin girls don't exactly drool over him."

"You don't like him, do you?"

"As in like-like? Of course not! And… well, I don't think I like him in general either. Draco is a bit very much obsessed with him, it's all the time 'Where is Potter? What is Potter doing?' but that's not the reason. He… I know I shouldn't but I think I blame him for what happened to my parents."

Salazar nodded comprehendingly.

"It'ssss all ssssooo political… I have sssince long decided not to mingle anymore… Yet I ssseeeee where your sssentiment hailsss from…"

"Thank you, Mr Slytherin."

"For what, Misss Lestrange?"

"Just for listening. It's been a while since I last talked to someone like that."

"Ssssame here, Misss Lestrange… I must sssshow up in my principal portrait now, but feel free to visssit anytime…"

Salazar walked out of the portrait, but Crucie felt a whole lot better. She would go write her letter in the library; the thought of seeing other people now didn't bother her so much anymore.

**(Author's Notes)**

**So, Crucie sees the first photograph of her mother. I imagine that most of the photographs of Bellatrix and Rodolphus were left behind in their old house when "disaster struck", and the ones they did have were hidden away.**

**And well... Yeah. The portrait of Salazar Slytherin. I imagine him being a total grump, reserved and perpetually annoyed and stuff, but also rather broadminded. (Say whut? o_O) Since he's a portrait he's been around for hundreds of years already and time makes anyone's opinions soften. At least, so I think. He must have had a very good portrait painter, since he didn't become a caricature of himself, or so I imagine ;)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I need reviews to know whether or not my writing has become horrible and unreadable! I have had so much great advice and great suggestions from you guys, and I'm truly grateful. Please, PLEASE, PLEEEEAAASE keep those coming! Cookies for all of you, and much love! As always, critics are welcomed too!**


	7. For Lack Of Good References

Their first flying lesson was together with the Gryffindors, and Draco was showing off his new and very expensive broom. Crucie had gotten Rabastan's old broom since the death eater couldn't risk flying anyway. It was a battered old model Clean Sweep 6, but knowing that her uncle Rabastan had flown on it in more than one death eater mission compensated all the lack of flashiness in sentimental value. She sneaked a peak at Neville Longbottom, who struggled with his broom and purposely didn't look in her direction. Madam Hooch gave them the basic instructions, and then they were to mount the brooms and carefully lift off, to about a meter above the ground. Crucie saw Neville's uncomfortable tension, and she just knew something was going to happen. And indeed, suddenly the boy's broom flew up in the air with him hanging only half on it. The thing wrestled like an animal trying to get free, and of course Neville didn't manage to get in control again. He fell, crying and moaning. Crucie wanted to see if he was okay, but since he seemed terrified of her before she decided it was a bad idea. Madam Hooch was annoyed but still helped Neville up, discovering his wrist was broken.

"I am going to escort Mr Longbottom to the infirmary, and I don't want any of you on your brooms while I'm gone! If I catch any of you flying you can forget attending this class for the rest of the year!"

Crucie watched them leave. She sat down on the grass and hoped no one would try to fly despite the warning. She suddenly heard.

"Hey, look at this! Isn't that little Longbottom's stone for stupids?"

Draco was holding a crystal ball Crucie recognized as a remembrall. It might be Neville's, she didn't know. She watched how her nephew taunted the Gryffindors on the other side of the grass field.

"Look what I have!"

He carelessly played with it, throwing it in the air and catching it again. Someone on the Gryffindor side of the grass yelled angrily.

"Give that back Draco!"

"Nah-ah!"

The Gryffindors had all gotten up now, and Crucie guessed there would be a fight. She was mistaken. Draco stepped on his flashy new broom and took off.

"If you want it, come and get it!"

She heard the Gryffindors say to one of their friends not to follow him, that it wasn't worth it, but the boy ignored them. Now Crucie could see it was the famous Harry Potter. He grabbed his broom and took off after Draco. They flew high, and suddenly Crucie saw that Draco was letting the Remembrall fall. It sent a surge of anger through her; there was no way in hell that the Potter child would catch it in time… Before she knew it she was on her broom and flew straight up.

"You are such an asshole, Draco."

The blonde turned his head and paled when he caught sight of his seething angry niece.

"You wouldn't dare to do that here, in public, on a broomstick."

"You dare me? Silly boy."

Crucie felt a great delight at the fearful expression on Draco's face, and it only grew when she sent her torture for the first time at him. It had been too long; she had started to forget how fun this was… He clenched his broomstick and screamed, while she scowled at him.

"Are you sorry, Draco?"

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

"Are you sorry?"

"YES! YES I'M SORRY PLEASE STOP AAAAARGH!"

Crucie didn't want to stop, the way the broom trembled as if it could feel her wrath too and the boy on it fought to keep control and not fall off it was too much fun…

"You will apologize to Neville."

"AAAAAH! OKAY OKAY AAAH! PLEASE STOP AAARGH! I DO ANYTHING! AAAAH!"

Crucie caught sight of the return of Madam Hooch, and Professor McGonagall, and decided to stop.

"Not a word about this."

Swiftly she flew down again. The advantages of a family broom were mostly that the broom automatically obeyed her, much better than a new one would. Despite that she decided that flying wasn't her thing; the idea of having to sit for a long time on a flying wooden stick kind of made her feel uncomfortable. Landing on the ground she saw Harry Potter had caught the Remembrall against all expectations, and she caught the surprised and confused look in her direction.

"Harry Potter, Crucio Black, come with me NOW!"

They walked next to each other behind McGonagall's flapping coats, but didn't look at each other. McGonagall talked to herself, muttering angry words.

"The insolence! The idea! No respect!"

Then she almost ran into professor Snape, who suddenly came out of the shadows like a ghost. Crucie wondered if that man had a psychic talent for being present when she screwed up. She also wondered why Draco –who had been on his broom as well after all- wasn't with them to take the punishment.

"Ah, Professor Snape, I was just looking for you! One of your students has been caught flying while explicitly forbidden, I suspect you can see to her punishment?"

Just one of his students? Urgh, even McGonagall favoured Draco… Crucie caught Snape's eyes, and immediately wished she had never even thought of stepping on that broom. Harry sent her an almost pitiful look while the Slytherin head of house pulled her with him to his office.

"I thought we were clear about this, Miss Black!"

"But… But…"

"No excuses! Or do you think Professor McGonagall's office is the only room in Hogwarts that has a window? I saw what you did there and so did a whole lot of others! I ask you to keep silent and you make a show of your talent in the middle of the Quidditch field! Are you stupid Miss Black? Retarded, backwards? Did you misunderstand me so badly?"

Crucie could sink into the floor…

"Well?"

"Draco wanted to destroy Neville's Remembrall. I saw him drop it and I was so pissed and so I made him pay."

"You defended Neville Longbottom?"

Crucie raised and eyebrow at Snape's utterly surprised face.

"Yeah, so?"

"Oh, nothing. Just very un-Slytherin of you. I hate taking points from my own house but unfortunately… 20 points from Slytherin, because of your stupid and unthinking bravery, and 5 more because you were disobeying Madam Hooch. I fear you will never learn otherwise. You will take detention with me for two nights and write 6 inches on why one should be careful with what he shows of himself to others, by tomorrow."

Crucie left the office particularly down. She went to the library, and immediately regretted it. Everyone stared, and many whispering students went silent when she passed them. Indignantly she exclaimed.

"Dammit! What are you all looking at!?"

"SILENCE in the library, Miss Black!"

The librarian scolded her, and feeling embarrassed Crucie disappeared between the racks of books. She had tears in her eyes and didn't watch whom she bumped into.

"Ow!"

"Oh my! Sorry…"

She looked up and in the eyes of a girl with bushy brown hair, who had previously had her hands full of books. Crucie immediately helped gathering them from the floor, while apologizing. The girl interjected.

"Don't apologize, it was my fault too, I didn't look where I was going."

Crucie handed her the last book.

"Here. I should get going now."

"Wait! Thanks for helping me! Aren't you the Black girl?"

"Yes. Is it so weird that I help someone?"

"No, it's just…"

"I'm a Slytherin, you're a Gryffindor, and so we should hate each other?"

The girl blushed.

"It's prejudice, I know… Sorry. I'm Hermione Granger."

She stuck out her hand, carefully balancing the books she was holding. Crucie uncertainly shook it.

"Crucio Black."

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable…

"Do… err… You want to sit with me? I mean, have you seen where McGonagall took Harry? Did she punish you too?"

Crucie shook her head.

"She first delivered me to Snape, and now I have to write 6 inches on some pathetic subject, sit out two detention classes and he took some points too. I bet Draco didn't get punished… I didn't see where she took Harry."

Hermione nodded.

"Malfoy's an ass. But I thought you Slytherins where all sticking together you know, and hating… well…people like me?"

Hermione looks almost ashamed now, and it amused Crucie greatly.

"Draco is family, kind of… and you know… you don't choose your family. He's annoyed me since he was only a toddler. I like most of my family… just not him."

Hermione chuckled at that. Trying to picture Draco Malfoy as something small and cute and perhaps even likeable was close to impossible.

"I just can't imagine that prick as a baby…"

Crucie remembered the blonde baby on the photograph and smiled.

"He was cute…. And annoying."

They both laughed. Now the ice was broken, Hermione dared to ask after Crucie's name.

"No, seriously… Crucio? Is that seriously your real name?"

"Please call me Crucie. Just like your family, you don't choose your name. Mom chose it because apparently giving birth to me was the most painful thing she ever did. Or so I'm told. Maybe she just wanted to spite ministry officials."

"Oh. I see. Hermione isn't the most common name either. It was weirder back in Muggle School than here though."

Hermione clearly made that remark without thinking it through, because the moment she had said that she suddenly looked badly at ease. Crucie asked with wide eyes,

"You've been to a muggle school?"

Immediately Hermione straightened her back, as if she was preparing for nasty comments.

"I have. I'm muggleborn."

Crucie looked surprised, and then strangely excited. She had never really spoken to one of the people Rabastan referred to as "muggleborns" when polite, "mudbloods" when among friends and "filth" when drunk… and she couldn't help her curiosity. She really wondered if all the muttered threats and curses at the address of that mysterious subclass of wizardry were there for a reason…

"That is so… Awesome! You're the first muggleborn witch I've ever met! I mean, you know, properly met. I've seen them before, I'm not that much of a hermit."

Hermione was clearly confused.

"You are the weirdest Slytherin I've ever met."

Crucie looked a little apprehensive at that comment.

"I'm… I'm sorry. Is it impolite to inquire after it?"

"No, just that most Slytherins don't really like muggleborns. Aren't the Blacks…"

The words Death Eaters hung unspoken between them. Crucie shrugged. Uncle Lucius had preached to her about the importance of blood purity when she was younger, but Uncle Rabastan always told her Lucius was an arrogant piece of ass and she shouldn't take him too seriously. Actually, the opinions of most of her family members got systematically undermined by other family members, which was slightly confusing at times.

"Well… it's true that my family wasn't really a fan of muggles, but… see, my mom used to call my dad an idiot, and my dad used to call my mother crazy, so neither of them is a good reference. And let's not even mention my uncle. I love him but I'm not sure someone who doesn't know how to open a can of beans without blowing up the kitchen counts as a political role model. So, I've decided to make up my own mind."

Hermione appeared both confused and slightly amused at Crucie's commentary. That family did sound interesting… Suddenly it hit the girl that Crucie had used past tense when speaking of her parents.

"Are both your parents…?"

"They're gone. I don't like talking about them. I live with my uncle now."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's okay. Could you tell me a bit about the Muggle world? I've lived in London for quite a few years already and I've never learned anything about them, bad huh?"

And so Hermione did, dumbstruck as she was. Crucie was all ears…Hermione explained how muggles ate the same things, how they felt the same emotions and how they reproduced in the same manner, surprised at how little the Slytherin girl actually knew of the people she had been learned to hate.

"So… they have no magic, but further they are all the same?"

Crucie recalled Draco saying to Theodore that Mudbloods actually have mud instead of blood in their veins. She had always wondered if it could be true, but in retrospect it was probably another made-up thing Draco had thought out to impress his friends. She decided not to mention it.

"Their lives are very different, and yet the same yes. Everything we have magic for, they have something called 'technology' for instead. Technology doesn't come naturally to them, they have to construct it from other materials."

"Do you have any muggle things, technology things, I mean? I would love to see how they work…"

Hermione smiled at Crucie's enthusiasm.

"I'm afraid not, within the domain of Hogwarts only things that run on magic actually work. But if you really want to see a piece of muggle tech, did you know Muggles constructed the Hogwarts Express? Later it was enchanted to run on magic, but back in the days it ran on coal."

"Wow… That sounds pretty awesome… so, you can enchant muggle technology to work on magic?"

"I suppose the train proves that…"

"That actually means we could bring muggle stuff in here and enchant it so it stays working! Imagine that!"

Hermione nodded.

"It's been done before so… but I suppose it would be very complicated magic…"

"Nah, I think it can't be much different from creating a cursed object."

Hermione's eyes widened at Crucie's careless remark.

"You know how to…"

The girl noticed her lapse and bit her lip.

"Well… friends of my uncle taught me a few things… It's really useful, you know! You can latch practically every spell with an object, not just dark spells… I've never done it myself because I didn't have a wand, but I know the procedure by heart."

Hermione looked inquiringly at Crucie. The girl was not much taller than her, with dark eyes, dark black curls, a sharp but proportionated nose and a wide grin. She didn't look particularly dangerous when she was smiling, but if even a bit of the stories about her were true… Crucie hadn't noticed Hermione's observation, and simply continued babbling.

"Maybe we could do an experiment together, see if we can get a simple muggle object to function!"

"Maybe…"

Crucie's smile faltered a bit when she caught Hermione's distant look.

"Unless… well, I understand it you know… not wanting to be seen with me and stuff…"

Hermione remembered how Draco had called her a mudblood and insulted her with his group, and realized that it both came down to family. They had insulted her because her family was muggle, but if she denied someone friendship because their family was dark she was no better.

"No, of course not. I don't care about being seen with you. You seem nice. I… I don't want to insult you though, but… did you really use an unforgivable on Draco, back in flying class?"

"I didn't even have my wand with me, I left it in my room to make sure it wouldn't break if I fell on it, I'm clumsy like that. He just panicked and started screaming, the guy has a ridiculous fear of heights. I mean, people are so gullible, and with my name I just was a really good scapegoat."

Hermione looked relieved.

"Duh, yeah, actually that sounds so much more logical. I'm glad to have that cleared up. So, what do you say, we do some research tomorrow, after class?"

"I have detention tomorrow, too, but… perhaps the day after? We have potions together, we can wait for each other."

"Sure!"

Crucie walked away, feeling both happy and a bit sad. She had possibly made her first friend… but she had had to lie for it.

**(Author's Notes)**

**Another IMPORTANT NOTICE (to avoid confusion)**

**Yay! I know this is a bit of an improbable turn in the story, at first sight... but actually it's not. At this point it's not known yet, (so slight but unimportant spoiler), but Crucie spent quite a bit of her childhood hanging around in Borgin and Burke's on Knockturn Alley, because Rabastan didn't really have the time to entertain her all day long. Most of the dark arts things -besides the cruciatus curse- she knows about were taught to her by Mr Burke. From him she also got a bit of a fascination with enchanted and cursed objects, and the collecting of them. Therefor her interest in enchanted muggle things is truly "scientific" if you can call it that. **

**Maybe she comes over as a little naive... I hope it's not too bad, I'm not trying to make her seem innocent or dumb in any way. As I stated before, I just don't think she's got such definite opinions on purebloods/muggleborns as her family.**

**As always, critics, comments and Mary-Sue warnings are always welcome! Every chapter I'm biting my nails, hoping for good reviews and bracing myself for the critics ;) nevertheless, without critics I can't get better! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!**


	8. The Exchange Of Crucial Informations

"Mr Slytherin?"

"Issss that you, Misssss Lestrange?"

Crucie cast a lumos and lit up the room. In the evening the secluded and half blocked room became earthly dark… Next time she should bring a few candles.

"It's me. How are you tonight, Mr Slytherin?"

"Alwaysss the polite lady, aren't you? Your parentssss taught you well…"

Crucie smiled sadly.

"Most of it was taught to me by my aunt and uncle, the Malfoys. They're very polite and very neat."

"Tssssss…. Sssso, what bringssss you here this evening?"

Crucie caught how easily the founder had dodged her question. She sighed.

"If you have to lie to your friends to maintain the friendship… are they really your friends?"

Salazar looked very thoroughly at Crucie… in the light of the lumos spell he looked pretty creepy.

"Dependssss, Misss Lestrange, on the ssssituation. Rowena tellssss Helga for centuriessss already that she hasssss the perfect figure… It'ssss a token of friendship, not meant to hurt or truly deceive… What liesssss have you told?"

Again Crucie felt she would have to speak the truth.

"I… It may seem strange, but I can cast a wandless cruciatus curse just like that. It doesn't even cost me a lot of effort or concentration. It's been like that since I was little. I… sometimes I lose my patience though and then I curse someone I shouldn't. I cursed my cousin during flying class, and this girl who I hope to make my friend asked if I cast a cruciatus. I said I didn't, and as proof I told her I didn't have my wand with me. It was a lie, but… also not really, you see? And I don't know why I feel bad about it, but for some reason it just doesn't feel like a good way to make real friends."

"Well, well… that isssss a peculiar ssssituation. A girl of many talentssss you are, Misss Lestrange... Your lie wassss protective, not deceptive… If you intend to tell the truth at sssome point… it is not detrimental to friendsssship."

Crucie smiled at that.

"Thank you very much. I… I guess I just needed to hear that."

"You're welcome, Missss Lestrange."

"So… Any gossip I should hear?"

"We Sssslytherins don't gossssip, Miss Lestrange… We exchange crucial informationssss."

That sentence made Crucie laugh again.

"I should remember that one… Do I have permission to quote you, Mr Slytherin?"

The portrait tried to look strict, but it didn't work too well. Salazar rolled his eyes –very uncharacteristically- and simply ignored the question… again. Instead he decided to pass on a little gossip anyway.

"Gideon hassss a bet with Lord Palinode… And they're going to have a sssswordfight in that painting of the picnicking witchessss on the fourth floor…"

"Oh dear… That doesn't sound like a good idea… Poor witches…"

"Once a Gryffindor, alwayssss an unthinking brash fool…"

Crucie chuckled, and meanwhile decided not to tell the portrait what house her new friend was in…

_(Pagebreak)_

"I tell you, you're crazy."

"And I tell you, you shouldn't be so narrow-minded, Ron. She's a girl like every other."

"She tortured Draco."

"Correction. He panicked because he has fear of heights, and started screaming. He just blamed it on her to spare himself the humiliation. And it's not as if you like that guy so much anyway. Why are you even defending him, even if she did curse him she did us a favour!"

"How on earth does she know about his fear of heights? She could be making it up, you know…"

"He's family, they've known each other since they were little. It seems possible to me."

"Weird. And still suspicious."

"You're just paranoid."

They met Harry in the corridor, when he just left McGonagall's office. The black haired boy looked both dumbstruck and excited as he practically jumped them.

"It's official guys. She gave me a broom. I'm going to be a seeker!"

Ron squeaked in delight.

"Merlin's Pants! How!?"

Harry grinned.

"She said I'm talented…"

"We're gonna be late for potions…"

"Mione, come on! We have to celebrate this! Harry is going to be the youngest Seeker EVER! This is Quidditch history in the making!"

"If you two are late again you'll be celebrating in detention, while chopping bat spleens for Snape."

The sound of despair the twosome made at that spoke volumes… Hermione heard Ron whisper.

"Gosh, way to ruin the fun… Why are we even friends with her?"

Angrily, Hermione wondered the same.

In class they had to form pairs as usual… But because both Angelica Johnson and Millicent Bulstrode were sick with wizard flu, the numbers were uneven. Crucie was still standing, as she was always the last one to be paired up, and realized the only other person left was Neville Longbottom. Snape groaned audibly.

"Miss Black, Mr Longbottom, sit down. Working two hours with someone of another house won't kill you."

They both sat down, not really daring to look at each other. The recipe for Forgetfulness Potion was lying between them; the ingredients were spread over the table. Crucie stretched out to take something on Neville's side, and the boy cringed as if she would beat him. She dropped the ingredient in the pot and said.

"Neville, what the heck is wrong? Did I do something? Could you please cut this root really finely?"

Neville cut, nervously, almost chopping his fingers together with the root, while he stuttered.

"Y-you… you torture p-people."

"Innocent until proven guilty, maybe?"

Crucie cut the roughly cut pieces again and added them to the mixture. She didn't like potions but she had a mediocre skill at them. Neville clearly didn't.

"Mix it, twice left, twice right, in that order."

"Y-you don't fool me. I… I know t-the others don't believe it… b-but I know the curse you are n-named after very well."

Neville mixed, and Crucie almost grabbed his hand to make the movement more steady, but realized that would be a very bad idea.

"How so?"

"Personal e-experience."

Crucie raised her eyebrows.

"You've been tortured? Wait! Add just two drops of Lethe river water, not a whole spoon!"

She corrected the ingredient and Neville said.

"Not me, but… people I know. And I've read about it."

"You do know I didn't have a wand, right?"

Neville looked at her, and Crucie was surprised that such a chubby, expressionless face could hold such feisty eyes.

"For some reason… I don't think that s-stopped you."

Crucie felt both cornered and sad.

"You have no proof."

"But I'm right, isn't it? Y-you don't need a wand."

Crucie sighed. She remembered their short conversations on the train, and realized he must have somehow put the pieces together.

"I don't know if they told you, but… I just wanted him to give your Remembrall back, or avenge him breaking it. No evil intent."

"How d-did it work then? I thought it needed evil intent."

"I was pissed enough. Any emotion will do the trick, you just have to mean it."

There hung a silence. A silence in which neither was looking at the forgetfulness potion…

"How did you do it?"

"I was born with it. A gift and a curse, I think I told you on the train. It comes as naturally as breathing."

Neville slicked audibly.

"I'm… I'm not comfortable with torture. Like, really not."

"I'm more than that particular talent, Neville, despite what my name makes people think. I'm a person too."

It somehow felt insulting that she had to remind people of that.

"How can you use it? How do you not feel disgusted with yourself?"

Crucie suddenly felt depressed, because she remembered Professor Snape's words, about how the modern wizarding world wasn't tolerant towards talents like hers. It made her sad to see his words proved.

"I don't expect you to understand it. But… could we just act like normal people around each other? It sort of gets on my nerves that you think you need to run and hide from me. I don't curse people for no reason…" At least not in school, Crucie silently added to that.

"I don't know, it's really…" Neville looked at their cauldron and paled a bit more. "Err… I think something is wrong with the potion…"

They looked at the brew, that now was bright purple and swelling like a balloon out of the cauldron, and Crucie immediately understood. In a moment she had ducked under the table. Neville was less agile, and when the brew exploded he got quite a bit in his face. From under the table Crucie could hear how Snape yelled things, the other students yelled too, there was purple smoke (and she was smart enough not to inhale it) and eventually everyone had left the potions classroom. At least, she thought so. Just as she wanted to relax and come out of hiding, she caught sight of a pair of sensible black shoes sticking from under a black robe, standing right in front of the table.

"I can see you, Miss Black. You can come from under that table."

Embarrassed, Crucie got up and faced Professor Snape. Strangely enough the grumpy professor didn't look angry, rather inquisitive.

"I should not do this, but… am I wrong, if I think that the fact Mr Longbottom won't remember the last six hours is rather fortunate for you, Miss Black?"

Crucie shook her head.

"You are not, professor. He found out, I think, put the pieces together."

"Well then. 20 points to Slytherin, for cunning display of house qualities. But if you ever do that again I will have you scrubbing cauldrons for the rest of the year!"

Crucie couldn't believe it, when she walked out of the potions classroom, that she had gotten off so easily, even gotten a reward for it! Snape had obviously thought she made the potion explode on purpose… well, there was no harm in letting him think that, she decided.

**(Author's Notes)**

**So, Crucie consults Salazar Slytherin -seriously, that she thinks he doesn't already know Hermione is a Gryffindor... Tssss- and then accidentally "obligates" Neville. I think Snape just wanted an excuse to give points to his own house... **

**Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW! I need your reviews, every chapter is a bit of a bet for me, and I'm always uncertain whether or not I totally ruined the story. I love and cherish EVERY SINGLE ONE of you people who take the effort to leave a little note! Critics, compliments, comments, or just a little acknowledgement that you read it, it all makes me happy! Cookies for reviewers!**


	9. Strange Encounters Of The Awkward Kind

_Dear Uncle Rabastan,_

_It's been a while since I last wrote, because a lot has happened. I think I'm finally making friends! (Even if one of them is a portrait, and a rather grumpy one at that.) _

_I just write to say I miss you; I miss London, I miss Knockturn Alley and Mr Burke's shop and… well, just everything. The lessons are interesting, except for those of Professor Binns –he must be the most boring thing since watching grass grow- and I've settled in quite nicely. Timor (that's the cat, in case you forgot) loves both the mice of Hogwarts and our weekly experiments. Sometimes I think they will turn him completely crazy, but for now he's just being his old kitten-ish self. If only people liked torture as much as he does…_

_How are you there in London? Have you heard anything from the others? Do you by any chance know if Professor Snape spoke to uncle Lucius? Because if that is the case, I may have to invest in an invisibility coat for the next family visit… (Yes, it's exactly what you think and exactly as bad.)_

_Anyway, I wish you all the best. Send my wishes to all our friends and allies on Knockturn Alley, especially Mr Burke! _

_Love,_

_Crucio Lestrange_

_PS: Do you have any photographs of my parents? I know most of them have gone lost, but… I just had to ask._

_(Pagebreak)_

Life resumed, and Crucie made friends with Hermione. It was a bit of a strained friendship, but they both shared a great curiosity, and combining Crucie's knowledge of dark and not completely legal charms with Hermione's familiarity with muggle tech and general magical skill proved to be a great idea. They just kept mostly to their research and didn't discuss other things, like Harry Potter, the Dark Lord, politics, family and religion. Hermione asked her parents for some battery-run objects and then they took those apart to charm the different elements and hope they would work together. After a few times of being sent out of the library, they decided they needed a better place. Their research was stuck now that they couldn't engage in noisy activities… Crucie ended up seeking counsel with Salazar Slytherin.

"Ah, Missss Lestrange… Ssssomething tellssss me you have a quessstion for me…"

Crucie blushed as she lit the candles. Of course Salazar would guess that, the portrait had this uncanny capacity to see straight through her guises.

"I… well, I'm doing this project with a friend, it's about enchanting muggle stuff and making it run on magic."

Salazar looked very surprised at the girl.

"Why would anyone want that? Muggle thingsssss are inferior!"

Crucie smiled.

"It's quite difficult, and I have figured the only way to do it is a bit of dark magic here and there. It seemed like a fun challenge… Plus, imagine all the pranking possibilities!"

The founder seemed to think about that.

"Timessss are changing, it sssseeeemsss… I remember the fusssss I made when the Hogwarts Expresssss was taken in use… Even assss a portrait the thought of wizards using muggle thingssss… was hard to ssstand. But it hassss ssserved usss now for many yearsss already, proven itssss use… I ssssuppose it all comesss down to being useful."

"We hope that our work will be useful too…"

"If that issss your goal, you will reach it…"

"I wondered if you know a place where we can work undisturbed."

"There are many ssssecret chamberssss in Hogwartssss… many ssssecretsss too… But alasss, I would be happy to let you two girlsssss work here… That isss, if Misss Granger doesssn't mind my presssence…"

"Err…"

Salazar Slytherin gave the girl his most knowing look.

"Portraitssss gosssssip, Misss Lestrange…"

."I thought you only exchanged crucial information?"

"Doesssn't mean I don't lissssten to other peoples' gosssssiping…"

Crucie grinned.

"So… You don't have anything against… you know?"

"Mugglebornssss? Tssssss… I admit, Misssss Lestrange, I am not particularly fond of them… Mugglessss, mugglebornssss, halfbloodssss… I don't like them. But it issss foolissssh to deny their use to ussss pure-blooded wizardssss. I'm too old for ssssuch radical ssstancessss, after all…"

"I bet she'll be hugely intimidated…"

Salazar let out a particularly hissing laugh.

"Sssshe better be!"

_(Pagebreak)_

Hermione didn't tell Ron and Harry about her new friendship with Crucie Black, and Crucie also kept it from her Slytherin 'allies'. Even though they had decided that neither of them was ashamed of the other, they made sure not to be seen together, as it wouldn't do their house status much good. After potions class they met out of sight of their classmates to talk their research over.

"The new batteries have arrived, finally!"

"And I have found a place for us to work."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. We… We do have to share it with someone."

"Oh. Is it someone…?" Hermione's eyes said enough. Crucie nodded.

"He is dark and Slytherin, but also very nice if you get to know him a bit better. He's a grump but his advice is very good. Oh, and he has this really awkward hissing accent but you get used to it pretty soon."

"Are you sure you want me to meet this person? I mean, if he's… dark and stuff, doesn't he hate muggleborns?"

Crucie frowned.

"I'm dark and I don't hate you, right? No politics, just study."

"Right. No politics."

Crucie led Hermione to the blocked corridor.

"Are you sure we can get in there? It looks dangerous, I think perhaps the floor is unstable, are you…"

"Shush and come on. It's safe, I've been coming here almost every day!"

They went on, until they stood in the little room and Crucie started lighting the candles. Hermione stared at the big portrait of Salazar Slytherin.

"Errr…"

"Don't you know it issss impolite to ssstare?"

Hermione looked like a deer caught in headlights, and Crucie smiled.

"So, Salazar Slytherin, this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, I suppose you know Mr Slytherin?"

She nudged Hermione and grinned at the portrait.

"I think you scared her."

"Tsssssss…"

Salazar let out his hissing laugh, the one Crucie had gotten to hear far more often lately.

"Misssss Granger… Assss I am a portrait, you have little reasssson to be afraid of my persssson. Our opinionssss and sssstatusss differ, but I won't eat you…"

Hermione softly nodded.

"I-It is an honour to meet you, Mr Slytherin."

The founder just shook his head.

"Tssss… Well, I ssshall leave you to your work… I must visssit my principal portrait again, otherwise Rowena will come looking for me."

And with that Salazar walked out of the frame. Hermione kept staring at the portrait.

"Mione, are you okay?"

"So, you have made friends with the most reserved portrait of whole Hogwarts. Somehow."

Crucie nodded.

"You know, he is known to talk to no one at all, right? He ignores even Dumbledore."

"You'd be surprised how far you come with being nice."

She caught Hermione's unbelieving look, but didn't really understand it…

**(Author's Notes)**

**So, a new -and slightly short- chapter. As I've explained before, at least to some, Salazar Slytherin's portrait is far from as radical as he himself once was. A thousand years of room for thought and observation would soften almost every harsh opinion, I think. He's a haughty, grumpy old man, but I imagine that actually he's rather nice ;)**

**Also, I know it's not smart of Crucie to use real names in her letter, but don't worry, she'll get reprimanded for it!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love and adore my reviewers! It's what gives me the confidence to post new chapters, and to keep writing! The comments and critics I get from you people truly help me (like the one comment on Crucie's apparent occlumency talent, or the few on my perpetual confusion regarding cousins and nephews...) and even if you just let me know you read it that's a great compliment to me! **

**SO REVIEW! COOKIES FOR ALL REVIEWERS!**


	10. Uninvited Guests Are Unwelcome

_Dear Crucio,_

_It's not very safe to address me by name, even though you send your letters to your other uncle first. You never know if those ministry bastards check our mail. _

_You have the best wishes from Mr Burke; he told me he misses your help as his assistant a great deal in his barter with clients. If you ever need something I'm sure you can call in that debt. _

_I am glad to hear you're making friends, and yes Professor Binns' lessons are indeed rather soporific. The only thing I remember from them is that I fell asleep as soon as he opened his mouth. Who cares about goblin rebellions anyway, right? _

_I have spoken to that longhaired piece of arrogance, and he indeed heard from Sev about your little show. I wouldn't advice an invisibility coat; if you want to avoid facing him over it you better emigrate to the US straight away. _

_If it cheers you up though, we have all gotten this you-know-what kind of feeling lately, so perhaps there is a chance the tide will turn one of these days. It's only speculation of course…_

_Anyway, hold on tight and behave yourself okay?_

_Much love, _

_Your Uncle._

_PS: The photographs you requested are sent with this. I didn't have many, and I hope you don't mind I kept some for personal reasons too. I can show you those when you get home._

_(Pagebreak)_

Crucie smiled as she got the envelope from Draco's owl, which landed with her first, much to the blonde's annoyance. The letter was written with an easy-read quill that produced a rather impersonal handwriting, probably so that it wouldn't require a code-cracker to read, but it had Rabastan's scribbly and undecipherable signature. That one was so complicated-looking that it was impossible to copy, so Crucie knew the letter was safe. She grinned when reading, imagining her uncle writing it. Even though he had avoided using names, it was almost as obvious as his fake moustaches. It was funny he called Lucius Malfoy a "longhaired piece of arrogance", because although her other uncle was indeed arrogant his hair wasn't much longer than Rabastan's. When reading he had added photographs, her heart skipped a beat. She shook the envelope and found three yellowed pictures. Before she had the chance to look at them though, Pansy Parkinson asked from across the table, envy and curiosity in her voice.

"Oooh, mail from the Malfoys, Crucie?"

Crucie hid the letter and photographs and put on her most innocent face.

"Yeah, it's a letter from Mrs Malfoy with the recipe of one of her pies. She suggested I could give it to the house elves to have it made for Draco's birthday. But don't tell him, it should be a surprise."

Pansy almost squealed in delight.

"Oooh, a surprise! How lovely! Can I be in on it too? I mean, you're family I've heard so it would be kinda gross if it looked like you're after him, no?"

As if she would ever think of pursuing Draco. The thought alone made her want to gag.

"Sure Pansy… I think he really likes you, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, I see you after class, okay?"

Crucie got up and made her way immediately to her secluded corner rather than the dorms. Salazar watched in silence how Crucie re-read her letter and finally got to look at the photographs. One depicted Bellatrix and Rodolphus posing for their traditional Yule Ball photo, both dressed in old-fashioned but elegant dress robes. They looked awfully sincere, not moving much despite the photo's magical qualities… The next photograph was taken way later; it featured Bellatrix, Narcissa, Lucius, the Lestrange brothers and Alecto Carrow hanging on the sofa at Malfoy Manor, with at their feet two toddlers she recognized as herself and Draco. Rabastan was poking his brother and Lucius sported his trademark annoyed scowl, and they were all looking relaxed and relatively content. From the date on the back it was taken only a month before the thing-she-never-wanted-to-think-about had happened. Crucie felt her eyes burn but fought to keep the tears back. The third and last photograph broke her though. It was not of very good quality, hazy around the edges, but it was undeniably her mother lying in a hospital bed holding a small bundle in her arms. She smiled widely at the camera, like a proud mother would. On the back was written in an unfamiliar handwriting: _"My love and our little curse"_.

Crucie was sobbing in moments.

"Tsssssss… Received bad newsssss?"

"Just… t-thinking of my parents…"

"Oh."

Salazar Slytherin was one of those people who were notoriously bad at comforting others. The memory was vague, but he recalled the only time he had actually attempted to comfort someone he had ended up in a duel of some sort. Now he looked down on Crucio Lestrange crying over pictures of her family, and wondered if there was anything helpful he could say.

"Missss Lestrange… I wondered… Do you play cardssss?"

Crucie looked up, slightly confused.

"I know bridge… Uncle Lucius taught me."

"Well… I have been... tssss… invited, to thissss card evening with the othersssss… I didn't think to go, but perhapsssss if you would join me…? It might… lift your sssspiritssss."

Crucie's eyes widened a bit. Had the Great Salazar Slytherin actually invited her to a card game? Speaking of unlikely events…

"I would like to come..."

"Tonight, sssseven 'o clock, the painting of Valda The Marvelloussss on the ssssixth floor. Now, if you'll excusssse me… I have thingsssss to sssee to…"

Crucie couldn't help but smile as Salazar quickly made his way out of the picture frame. It was official; she had somehow really made friends with the portrait. Not that he would ever admit it, but from that moment on Crucie knew for sure.

_(Pagebreak)_

Time passed, and Crucie got the feeling Hermione was hiding things from her. Having to hide a great deal of things herself had taught her the signs. She also spent more time with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, even though it didn't look like they treated her nicely. Their meetings became scarcer, and Crucie didn't have the heart to point out that Ron and Harry just used her to copy her homework. She didn't want to lose the only friendship that felt a bit meaningful to her. She sometimes overheard part of their conversations and really had to strain herself not to torture the sanity out of that red-haired Weasley twat. The way he mindlessly commented on Hermione, calling her a teacher's pet while copying her notes, saying she was anti-social because she preferred books over Quidditch… Well, if given the chance, she would gladly teach him 'anti-social', in the true meaning of the word…

It was Halloween, and once again she caught Ron saying something particularly nasty about Hermione. As she saw the girl run off sobbing, and the boys not caring a bit, Crucie couldn't control herself and sent the curse in Ron's direction. The Weasley boy screamed and fell to his knees. Crucie stopped quickly enough not to be caught, too quickly for her taste, but the boy's terrified expression did wonders for her mood anyway. While Harry helped Ron up their eyes met for a moment, a moment just long enough to convey the feeling. As they hurried away to the Halloween Feast, Crucie saw Harry turn his head once more to see her. Tssss, she thought to herself, unconsciously imitating Salazar Slytherin's favourite sound. Now she just had to find Hermione and see if she could coax her to the feast as well.

While Crucie was looking for Hermione, occasionally asking the portraits if they had seen her, a particularly disturbing message arrived in the great hall by the likes of Professor Quirrell screaming about a troll in the building. She hadn't heard the message, but when she heard loud roaring and thumping she knew something wild and dangerous must have slipped into Hogwarts. With a manic gleam in her eyes Crucie followed the sound until she came upon a 12 feet tall mountain troll. He was absolutely every bit as disgusting as Uncle Rabastan used to describe trolls, and Crucie felt absolutely no guilt when she let her power loose on him. She was quite certain the monster's screeching could be heard throughout the whole building, it almost made her deaf on the spot.

In her enjoyment of making the troll wrestle with himself in agony, she didn't notice the two boys approaching. They disturbed her in the act, but there was no time for arguing. Once her concentration broke the troll got up and threw himself at the threesome, his small brain addled with pain and rage. Harry was quick and he ducked away in a nearby toilet, pulling the other two with him. The troll wasn't so easily stopped though… Crucie's memory was fuddled and vague from the stress and tension of the moment, and later she couldn't remember exactly how it had happened that Hermione was in the exact toilet they had accidentally lured the troll into, what spells had been used and how the four of them had all done some pretty dangerous things –Ron taking the cake with ending up on the monster's head- to defeat him. When the troll at last collapsed on the toilet floor, they just had a few moments to look at each other before the professors barged in to find the humongous creature defeated by four first-years, who undoubtedly put themselves in grave danger to accomplish that. The reactions were of course outraged and while Snape practically dragged Crucie over the floor to his office she saw how the other three underwent similar treatment from Professor McGonagall, who looked anything but pleased…

**(Author's Notes)**

**First of all, you may ask yourself: how on earth will she play cards with a portrait? Well, I think she doesn't actually plays along with her own cards, but gets to see Salazar's cards instead so they can play as a pair. Which probably makes her the only person the great Slytherin Founder has ever allowed to look him in the cards. xD**

**Then... the troll. Yes, the troll. I imagine Crucie would be jumping up and down with glee at the chance to torture a troll. She doesn't discriminate in her choice of victims, you see ;) She probably did help with defeating it, but since I'm bad -awfully bad really- at writing action scenes I leave it to your imagination how exactly she helped.**

**Any questions, just let them come! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Your reviews are always helpful, and I love getting comments; critics and compliments alike! Help me keep this story reasonably okay with your input!**


	11. Snape's Fiery Cloak And Other Favors

"Don't tell me what you wanted with that troll. Oh what does it matter I KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED! Merlin, is it really that hard to control yourself?"

Crucie stared at the floor. It was true that she had left with nothing but good intentions, but the sight of the troll had made her forget about those completely. Professor Snape sighed angrily.

"You have undoubtedly helped in defeating that troll, and I don't doubt your talent came in handy, but you would never have been in that situation if not for your own recklessness. You heard of that troll and thought what? Let's go torture that shit? Oh for fuck's sake Crucio Lestrange!"

Snape never cursed, nor did he use her real name. At least, until now. It somewhat shocked Crucie, but left the potions master a little calmer. He glared at Crucie.

"Well?"

"I… I didn't hear about the troll… I wasn't in the great hall; I was looking for Hermione Granger. I had seen her friends had upset her, and since we are not on unfriendly terms I thought to help her. I mean, she doesn't have that many friends… So I was walking the corridors and heard the troll and… I just forgot my good intentions. Finding Hermione was completely coincidental, as was meeting those other two."

Snape sighed deeply. Why couldn't his life just be easy? He shook his head.

"I heard from Lucius you had been given the means to release yourself, don't they work?"

"Means?"

"A cat that is apparently torture-resistant."

"It's not enough. I mean, it is enough, technically, but… I'm tempted everywhere. And I don't want to, not just randomly, but people piss me off and then…"

"You're a teenager, with teenage moodswings, but that doesn't rectify using unforgivables on people. Even without a wand it is an unforgivable curse Miss Black… I hope you realize that. In fact you have committed multiple criminal offences in the past months, which would account for a rather long and unpleasant stay at our least favourite place in the world."

"WHAT?!"

Crucie felt as if her heart stopped beating all the same. They wouldn't… Snape shook his head.

"You're underage and on Hogwarts domain, so for now you're safe. But you will need to learn to control the urges better. I can only guess how you have managed while living with Rabastan, but you won't find that amount of release here on Hogwarts. I will have to consult the headmaster on this."

"He… w-will I b-be expelled?"

Crucie couldn't help her voice from trembling. Snape shook his head.

"Lucius took precautions, hung up some story about you being in danger if not protected by the wards of Hogwarts, so I doubt they will send you away. Dumbledore is not that bad a person. Now, better get back to your dorms as soon as possible."

Crucie wanted to walk away, when Snape remarked.

"Oh, and 60 points from Slytherin for foolish bravery, lack of self-control and inexistent self-preservation senses."

Crucie wanted to sink into the floor. 60 points… that was an awful lot. Her house-mates would send seriously foul looks at her if they heard…While walking away she passed the dark corridor, but she didn't want to talk to Salazar, afraid she'd get scolded again for what indeed had been a painful lack of control. The Malfoy family had raised her for the greater part, how had she never taken over their famous self-restraint? Perhaps she had, but living with longhaired, loose-mannered uncle Rabastan had made it come undone… Crucie mused sadly. In her dorm she looked at the pictures of her parents, specifically the stern official one of the Yule ball. Bellatrix looked unhappy there, but also completely in control of herself. Crucie decided she really had to be more like her mother…

_(Pagebreak)_

Hermione avoided Crucie too now, and seemed to have grown closer to the two boys. It was a tough nut to crack for Crucie, but she decided not let her anger and disappointment show. At least they hadn't made the rumours about her torturing everything that moved any worse… that was something to be grateful for. She remained courteous and didn't go on a cursing spree even though she often felt like it. It was hard to concentrate on the lessons, and she got severely annoyed with Professor Quirrell. His stutter, his smelly turban, his silly manners… It was like Rabastan's fake moustache, but worse. It was so obviously a façade for something else that she couldn't help but get suspicious. The things they were taught in that class were pretty useless too; for every counter-spell given, Crucie knew a dozen curses that would beat it. She wished she had someone she could share her lingering suspicion with, but none of the people she was friendly with were suitable. It was a frustrating situation…

She went to watch the first Quidditch game in which Potter would be Gryffindor's seeker, mostly because of curiosity, and was treated not only with Potter almost falling off his broom, but also with a lovely sight of Snape's coat spontaneously catching fire. It was quite funny. Nevertheless, she was sure Quirrell had to do with at least one of the events. She secretly hoped it was him who had set Snape's coat on fire… that would cause some commotion (and hilarity) in the staffroom she was sure. Hilarity that she would hear all about from Salazar, who was despite everything a huge gossip when given the chance…

_(Pagebreak)_

Crucie had bought gifts, just a few because she didn't have many people to get gifts for, and generally she was happy with the things she'd bought. There was a silk hair bow for uncle Lucius, a crystal vase for aunt Narcissa, a fake moustache and a chocolate fudge pie for uncle Rabastan –she was sure he'd get the joke- a new tie for Mr Burke, candy for the girls of her dorm, an illustrated botany book for Daphne, and that was about it. Merlin bless owl-post-order catalogues… Only last minute she had realized she needed one more gift, and she had no idea what to get.

"Err… Mrs Ravenclaw?"

Crucie was still a bit intimidated by the beautiful founder of the Ravenclaw house… The other paintings of the founders were empty for the moment, Crucie guessed Helga was somewhere in a painting with a well-filled dinner table, Godric was probably in a fight of some sort and Salazar was in his 'secluded portrait' enjoying the quiet. The only person she could ask was the imposing Rowena Ravenclaw. The black-haired woman looked curiously at her.

"Miss… Black, isn't it?"

She hesitated just long enough to let Crucie know that she knew it wasn't her real name. Crucie nodded.

"I have a question. It may sound silly, but I would like to do something for Mr Slytherin, for Christmas, and I don't know what. Do you perhaps have an idea?"

Rowena's lips quirked in a bit of a smile, but not quite it. Crucie had since long understood that the Ravenclaw founder smiled even less than Salazar, and it only added to the overall impression the portrait made on her…

"Being of Slytherin yourself, you should know the best gift is a favour. It is always good to have favours to call in."

Crucie nodded.

"Thank you for your wisdom, Mrs Ravenclaw."

"You're welcome."

A favour… Crucie knew a lot of the dealings on the dark side had to do with the exchange of favours, Uncle Lucius had often complained about having to call in favours for stupid things and Rabastan had always encouraged her to make other people be in her debt. Perhaps a favour was indeed a good gift… at least she didn't need to worry about how to wrap it.

Christmas came, and with it came more gifts than Crucie had expected. She woke up early on Christmas day because Timor was excitedly mewing and attempting to scratch the wrapping paper from the gifts on the foot end of her bed. She was happy to wake up first, because now she could open her gifts in relative quiet. The first one was a heavy package wrapped in brown paper with a thin rope around it. Crucie ripped the paper and found a thick black leather-bound book, clearly old from frequent use and worn around the edges. In gold letters the cover read 'Secrets Of The Darkest Art'. When she opened it, she saw a dedication was written on the first page.

_"To Crucio Lestrange, the best assistant I ever had. I hope this book will bring you as much pleasure as it has brought me. To me, the most unforgiveable thing you ever did was leaving… Greetings and Merry Christmas, Caractacus Burke."_

It made Crucie smile. She softly caressed the book. She was almost certain it was on the list of books forbidden by the ministry… A peak in the table of contents confirmed her suspicions, and only made her more enthusiastic. The second gift was from the Malfoys, soft pink dress robes adorned with a lot of glittery rhinestones. The colour made her want to hurl, but she supposed that was uncle Lucius' revenge for tormenting Draco. Or just aunt Narcissa's bad taste, that was possible too.

_"Merry Christmas, Crucie dear! I saw these robes at Twillfitt and Tatting's and I imagined you in them… I bet you'll look great! Lucius ensured me you would love them! Merry Christmas, much love from your aunt Narcissa! P.S. Lucius also sends his best."_

How to take revenge, Malfoy Style… No wonder uncle Lucius was a good politician. Despite the thought of having to wear the robes, Crucie couldn't help but smile. Rabastan sent her a funny letter and a whole lot of candy, and Daphne had made a botanical drawing of a plant called "_Cruciata chersonensis" _or Crossworth, which had made her think of Crucie's name. The gifts delighted Crucie… She almost looked over the final gift, a very little black box that had apparently come with Rabastan's load of candy. In it she found a long silver chain with an emerald pendant on it. A small note stated, _"This belonged to your mother, I thought you might want to have it. I helped my brother pick it for her back in the days. Love, your uncle."_

Crucie put it on and bit away her tears. She would write a very long letter to uncle Rabastan to thank him for that. She knew he kept most of the things that reminded him of her parents to himself, silently mourning them in his own way. Sometimes the haunted look her uncle got in his eyes made her believe that Azkaban was truly a sentence worse than death… He had never told her how he had escaped the day of his arrest, and she had never asked. If anything, she didn't want to think about it. She just imagined her parents somewhere else, out of reach but not… there. The few bits she had read about the place had given her enough material for nightmares already. She carefully put away her gifts, except for the necklace, that she put on. While patting Timor she dozed off again, until the commotion of the other girls unwrapping their presents began.

**(Author's Notes)**

**Yeah, I'm updating quite fast. I know. Please people; REVIEW! I need your reviews... Every time I see I have no new reviews my inner muse withers and dies a bit more. She's really vulnerable, my dear muse. Reviews are the only food she will take! Make me and my muse happy and leave us a little note please? Comments, critics, compliments... I love getting all of them! Without your reviews I never know if what I'm writing is okay!**

**So yeah, Snape cursed. SNAPE CURSED! He did, actually. Poor man, completely exasperated. You can imagine his despair at the fact that the student he is supposed to keep an eye on is happily torturing mountain trolls. **

**And Christmas gifts! Imagine her in those pink robes... *lols* Narcissa is the queen of tacky... (and Lucius is a bastard, but we already knew that much xD). I imagine Mr Burke sending her that book because well... she's really been hanging around in that shop since she was little, I think he considers himself to be her grandfather a bit ;)**

**Also, the pendant has a story... don't worry, it will be revealed! I you review, that is xD**

**Also... that favor... She'll have to pay that one off sooner or later... so be prepared...**


	12. In A Mirror, Darkly

Christmas day had been tedious and long, mostly because there were activities for those who had stayed at Hogwarts that were obligatory to attend. Crucie yearned to show her gifts to Salazar and then go read in her newest book, but it was already past curfew when she finally managed to sneak through the corridors with the forbidden book in her bag. In the secluded room Crucie quickly lit all the candles. The portrait frame was empty, but as if he knew she was there the founder suddenly stepped in.

"Tssssss… Passsst curfew, Missss Lestrange…"

Crucie grinned.

"Merry Christmas, Mr Slytherin."

"Of courssssse, it'sssss Chrissstmasss… I knew there wassss a good reassson I avoided everyone today…"

"You don't like Christmas?"

"It's a tediousssss feasssst…"

"I think so too, but getting gifts is always nice, right?"

"Ssssooo… What did you get thissss year?"

Crucie proudly showed the book.

"A gift from Mr Burke, because I used to help him so much in his shop…"

"Resssstricted Ssssection material… Most interessssting…"

Crucie slicked now, hesitating to "give her gift".

"I wanted to let you know that… well, I know it's stupid but if you would ever need something of me, don't hesitate to call in the favour."

Salazar let out a hissing laugh.

"Ssssmart, Missss Lestrange… Very ssssmart…"

Crucie smiled.

"I just wanted to get you a gift, but it's kind of hard to get a gift for a portrait, right?"

The founder nodded.

"You are a mossssst amusssing girl, Missss Lestrange… and I mean that in the besssst possssible manner. You chase the boredom from my daysssss…"

Crucie blushed.

"Thank you…"

"No… Thank you, Missss Lestrange… It issss far lessssss boring here ssssince I know you…"

_(Pagebreak)_

A little later Crucie left the room, only to see the evil cat Mrs Norris just a little further, and having to hide again. She bumped into something she couldn't see and sort of stumbled into a classroom, just in time to avoid the cat and its owner. She shook her head and looked around, catching sight of… Harry Potter. They stared at each other; both looking shocked, surprised and suspicious. Crucie was the first to break the silence, trying to sound as normal as possible. She had no idea how the boy had gotten there, but she could better attempt to be polite.

"So… Merry Christmas, Potter."

The boy stared at her with unhidden animosity.

"Looking for someone to torture, Black?"

Crucie was too tired for the fuss, really. She shook her head.

"Seriously, I don't like you, you don't like me, we just both happen to be out after curfew and hiding, so could we please be civil to each other for the moment? Please? You can go right back to being a little pest as soon as we're out here."

Harry looked a bit dumbstruck, but nodded. He was obviously tired himself and not in the mood for fighting. He said,

"I heard Filch call for Snape to help patrol the corridor, so we're stuck here for a little longer. What were you doing out here anyway, Black?"

"Looking for a quiet place to read the book I got for Christmas. What were you doing here?"

Harry looked uncertain. Then Crucie noticed a heap of… something… on the floor. She had seen that kind of material at Borgin And Burke's sometimes, it had to be…

"You were testing an invisibility cloak, weren't you?"

"Err…"

"It's lying right there, and yes it's quite visible when rolled on a heap. No use in denying, Potter."

"Yeah… it was a gift."

"You know cool people."

Harry smiled, but it was a sad smile. Not knowing what else to say, Crucie scanned the room again, her eye falling on a pretty big mirror. She walked to it, and got the shock of her life when she looked into it. Instead of just her own reflection she saw her parents, softly smiling behind her, together with the Malfoys, the Carrows, Uncle Rabastan, even professor Snape was somewhere in the group she saw. All the people from the group portrait were there, and even a couple others too. She looked behind her, but of course nothing was there but a confused looking Harry Potter. In the mirror Bellatrix happily waved at her. Crucie couldn't stop herself from touching the glass, softly whispering.

"Mom…"

"Eh, Black… what's going on?"

Crucie ignored him. She just stood there, staring at the illusion of her family in the mirror, silent tears running over her cheeks.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head and asked.

"What do you see?"

Harry looked in the mirror too now, and he got a shock as well. It was probably due to shock that he spoke the truth.

"M-my parents…"

Crucie sat down in front of it, and so did Harry. They both stared at the same mirror, caught in each their own illusion.

"How old were you when…?"

"Four."

"Me too."

"Are they…?"

"They're gone."

Crucie hated herself for crying, but then saw that the boy next to her, the Boy-Who-Lived, the indirect cause of her sadness, was crying too. He too had lost his parents, kind of due to the same thing as she had. It caused her to feel an unusual solidarity with him. Finally she looked away from the mirror; she didn't know how much time had passed.

"I can't look at this anymore… It's too… confronting."

She didn't want to miss them so much. She barely had any memory from them besides some aged photographs… how had the mirror created such a lifelike image? It was as if just a glass plate separated her from them…

"They seem so close, don't they?"

Harry mumbled. He hadn't looked away from the mirror a single time. On a whim Crucie put a hand on his shoulder.

"They do. But they're… It makes them feel even further away too."

Harry finally looked away, catching her eyes.

"Why are you this friendly?"

"For one we agreed on civility, and being polite is a part of that…" Harry wanted to turn back to the mirror. "But also because we have both lost our parents, around the same time, and I understand, I think. How it is to want them back more than anything and to be confronted everyday with the realization that they're really gone, out of reach most likely forever."

Now she had the boy's attention. He dried his eyes and turned away from the mirror, reluctantly. He sighed.

"This is so odd."

"I know. I still don't like you, you know."

"Neither do I. You hexed Ron, probably Draco too, god knows how many people!"

"Since I started counting, about 643, accidents not included."

Harry's eyes widened a bit.

"And all of those were done without…"

Crucie nodded. She had no idea why she was telling this to Harry Potter of all people… perhaps Snape was right and did she indeed lacked all sense of self-preservation. Ah well, it wasn't as if he didn't know already, he had seen her torture that troll after all. She noticed Potter shoved a bit aside.

"It's not contagious."

"Have you ever killed someone?"

Crucie shook her head.

"Never. Didn't have a wand and such."

Wrong answer. Harry looked at her with unhidden disgust.

"You would have killed someone if you had had a wand?"

Crucie shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe. I'm a bit curious after it."

"It's so wrong… Like, wrong on so many levels! I'm not Hermione, but even I can see that is such a flawed reasoning!"

"What is the flaw? It's a contradiction. Not all contradictions are flaws."

"You are crazy."

"Perhaps I am. Runs in the family."

"If you kill someone you take away someone who has a family and friends who will miss him. How can you feel so sad over your parents and still think of randomly killing people?"

Crucie thought about it.

"I just said I'm curious after it, not that I would randomly kill people. I'm good with how things are now, I don't necessarily need to have killed someone…"

Harry shook his head.

"You are a seriously disturbed person, Black." Despite that statement he did look curious. "How do you do it?"

"What, the torture? I don't really know. It just comes naturally… I don't even have to think about it anymore. Had a lot of practice, of course."

"Practice?"

"I helped out at this shop, specialized in buying and selling magical objects. Not all our clients were as benevolent, or as willing to part with their heirlooms as we would have liked, and that's where I came in."

"That's…"

"It was a pretty cool job; I didn't have anything else to do anyway. My uncle was always out for work so I had to entertain myself."

"With torture."

"Yeah. Why not? If you know what you're doing there's no permanent damage, you know. And I'm good at it."

"I'm… uncomfortable with torture."

"Funny. That's what Neville said as well, right before our cauldron blew up. Strange how you people put it. Uncomfortable. I guess that's the idea of torture, isn't it?"

"You make me feel uncomfortable too."

"What are you going to do now? Report me? It's not as if you didn't know about this before..."

Harry looked a bit taken aback.

"I should, actually."

"I can always convince you not to, of course."

"The screaming would attract Snape and Filch."

"Ever heard of a silencing spell?"

"Right. This was a bad idea."

"Not if you don't tell anyone. Look, tonight was an exception. I'm not going to tell anyone about your invisibility cloak or that you cried over your parents either."

"But…"

"No buts. What good does it do you if you get me expelled? It's not as if the professors don't know already."

"They KNOW?"

"Sssh. Snape does, Dumbledore does, and McGonagall does maybe…"

"Fine. But if I ever hear or see you torture someone, I report it."

"So as long as you don't know about it…"

"Don't make me sound like a hypocrite."

"No, I make you sound clever. Very Slytherin of you, Potter. If I were Snape I would give you points."

Harry stared at his shoes.

"The Hat almost put me in Slytherin."

"I'll tell you another secret. The Hat almost put ME in Gryffindor."

Hary stared at Crucie, blinking a few times.

"You? In Gryffindor?"

"Think what you want, I asked to be put in Slytherin and I was. You asked for Gryffindor and you were put there. It could have been the other way round too."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence a little longer, until they were certain the corridors were safe again. Crucie hurried back to the dungeons and Harry made his way to the Gryffindor tower. They were both tired and very confused…

**(Author's Notes)**

**Yay, new chapter! I got the advice that perhaps Crucie needed a bit of a lesson in ethics... (thank you Vivien Lestrange) So in comes Harry Potter! Now, I know Harry is all against torture and all against the dark arts, but... I don't like him to be so black and white. That's more Ron's shtick, really. Hope you guys don't mind; after all the Hat DID want to put him in Slytherin first. I hope I still made him a clearly Light wizard ;)**

**Please review. PLEASE! As you can see I actually listen to the advice I get, so please share some with me? Comments, Critics, Compliments; I love them all! Cookies for all my reviewers!**

**PS: Did anyone notice the title is a "Star Trek: Enterprise" reference? **


	13. Without Law No Punishment

**IMPORTANT:I'M JUST POINTING OUT I HAD NO REVIEWS ON LAST CHAPTER. THAT HURTS, PEOPLE. PLEASE SUPPORT A STRUGGLING WRITER? *BEGGING FACE***

When Professor Snape requested that Crucie would meet him after class, she already knew what it was about, and she had decided to take it gracefully. Putting her robes in order she followed him to a statue of a huge and ugly gargoyle.

"Sugared Butterfly Wings."

Snape pronounced the words with the greatest disgust, and the gargoyle turned to reveal a staircase. A little later they found themselves in the office of Albus Dumbledore.

"Miss Black is here, as you requested. I shall be going now."

"Good, Severus. Thank you."

Snape nodded curtly and left again. Crucie looked around. There were intricate little machines on spindle tables everywhere, a cage with a huge fiery coloured bird in it, and a whole lot of portraits. She noticed the Headmaster was looking at her.

"Crucie... Miss Black… or Miss Lestrange, what do you prefer?"

"T-The latter, professor."

"Well then, Miss Lestrange. Do you know why you're here?"

There were many reasons possible, now that Crucie thought about it. She went with the most probable one.

"I… It's about the cursing, right?"

Dumbledore slowly nodded, but said.

"I have to do something first… Please wait a moment, I will be right back."

The moment Dumbledore left the office, all the sleeping portraits woke up. They all babbled through each other, until one brought order.

"Ah, one of my family members… again. It's been a while since the last one. I think it was that worthless great-great-grandson of mine…"

Crucie looked at the portrait of an eccentric man with a turban and a rather displeased expression on his face.

"Err… Excuse me sir, but I don't think we have met before…"

"It's Phineas Nigellus Black, young lady! So… Bellatrix' daughter huh?"

"Yes…"

"It's polite to introduce yourself too, you know."

"I'm Crucio Carina Lestrange, Sir."

"Let me guess. You're here because you've decided to live up to your name."

"Not… not on purpose…"

"As long as it were a couple of those no-good mudbloods I don't really care… Our friend Albus here however won't be so lenient I think…"

The other portraits indignantly interrupted Phineas.

"You are such a prick, Phineas! I'm so done with your attitude! You could at least try to show a little respect!"

"Shut up Newton, at least his children don't look like a hippogriff had them for lunch and then threw up!

"Take that back, Elizabeth! I swear you are going to regret those words if its…"

"Lizzie, stop being a pureblood bitch and get back in your frame…"

"I'm not going to let people insult me like that! You are so…"

"How dare you call me that you insolent blood traitor!?"

Crucio watched with astonishment how the portrait wall became a mess, with different portraits trying to get into the frames of others while yelling insults. The only portrait that somehow stayed out of the fight was the instigator of it, Phineas Nigellus Black, who looked awfully pleased with himself. Being stressed enough as it was, Crucie yelled,

"STOOOOOOP!"

All the portraits stopped bickering (and in some cases physically fighting) to look at her.

"Seriously, I may get expelled and thrown in Azkaban and all you can do is fight over… over what exactly? Don't you have a portrait here because you're useful to the headmaster?"

"We have a portrait here because once we were headmasters and –mistresses ourselves… Our use to the current one is not really questioned."

A 17th century headmistress remarked. Crucie frowned. Phineas pointed his attention back to her.

"So, I do wonder how you can cruciate someone 'not on purpose'… I'll believe that when I see it. Did your wand arm suddenly have a life of its own perhaps?"

"I… I didn't use my wand. And okay, it was on purpose, but it's not like I hate someone or something, I just felt like it so I did it. It's hard to control sometimes."

Phineas shook his head and clacked his tongue in disapproval.

"Tsk Tsk Tsk. Not very Black of you, so little self-restraint…"

"I know…"

Crucie blushed in shame. She had successfully avoided getting scolded by Salazar Slytherin, but instead a whole wall of portraits was now looking down on her in righteous disdain. She heard a female portrait remark.

"Let her go to Azkaban, good riddance…"

"Who said that!?"

"No one insults my family, Heliotrope!"

"You've disowned every decent member of your family Phineas, it's not like there's much left to insult."

The portraits started bickering again, and this time Crucie just let them. Elizabeth Burke on one side and Newton Scamander on the other formed the frontlines. It was clear the twosome wasn't new to throwing hateful comments at each other. Elizabeth excelled at insulting Scamander's descendants, while he clearly was one of the more physical approaches, threatening to break Elizabeth's nose. Phineas' portrait in the middle looked perfectly content to be in the crossfire, and threw Crucie a knowing look. It was on that moment that Dumbledore returned.

"Silence, ladies and gentlemen."

Immediately the portraits stopped their childish disagreement, but they didn't stop sending glares of intense hate to each other. Dumbledore smiled softly at Crucie.

"I have heard quite a bit about you, Miss Lestrange… The latest being your aid in the defeat of our uninvited Halloween guest... Severus has also informed me this help was somewhat accidental."

Crucie nodded, feeling quite ashamed. Dumbledore was so imposing; he had that effect on people. Something about him reminded her of Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Lemon drop?"

She shook her head, and Dumbledore just took one for himself, before continuing his explanation.

"You are the first of your kind, so to say. It is quite possible that you will pass your talent on to future generations… I'm quite… Would you forgive me my curiosity, Miss Lestrange?"

Crucie nodded. Perhaps if he thought she was interesting he wouldn't condemn her to… that place.

"Tell me, what do you feel when you use your talent?"

"It's… If it's been a while it feels like tension being released from a tightly pulled rope. In general it just… makes me feel satisfied, content. Round peg, round hole, that kind of feeling. It just feels… right."

"Have you ever experienced doubts of some sort, concerning whether or not you can simply exercise your talent like that?"

"Doubts? Why? I… Well, lately perhaps a bit, because everyone's bitching about how torture is like the most horrible thing since World War II, but generally not."

Dumbledore seemed simultaneously surprised, delighted and concerned with her answers; Crucie didn't know how those twinkling blue eyes could contain so many different emotions at the same time. He asked about a lot of things, and Crucie saw no need to be dishonest. No sense of self-preservation, perhaps… Or maybe just the knowledge that this man would see right through her anyway should she lie to him. She didn't tell him much about her parents though, mostly because she didn't know all that much but also because she had to protect her family, what family she had left. Most of his questions did point out to her how little she actually knew about her own condition.

"That pendant, Miss Lestrange… It was your mother's, wasn't it?"

She nodded.

"Your father gave it to your mother after the Yule Ball… it was his engagement gift, I guess."

"My parents were already engaged back then?"

"Oh yes, arranged marriage and all. No one thought it would work out back in those days… your father was a very stiff and reserved man, while your mother was rebellious, a wildcat. Their parents had decided over their heads to unite houses, and it seemed that your parents were merely victims of a business deal."

"But… my parents loved each other…", Crucie weakly objected. She noticed she used past tense and immediately corrected herself. "And they still do, I'm sure of that."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I said no one thought it would work out… It didn't seem like it would, Bellatrix even instigated rumours herself that she had cheated on your father hoping his parents would annul the engagement…. yet no such thing happened, and against all odds they fell in love after all. No one could believe it, but from that moment on your mother wore that pendant every day… She never regained a good relationship with her parents though, the way they had tried to trade and barter with her virginity had clearly hit the wrong spot with her."

Crucie was delighted to hear about her parents' past… She also felt like she was intruding though, since she didn't suppose her parents would have wanted her to know those personal details of their engagement. Suddenly the letter Bellatrix had sent her became clearer too; how she didn't want to impose her will on her daughter like her parents had done… Crucie had suspected back then it had to do with politics and pure-blood-status, but now she read it as a reference to her mother's once-unhappy marriage. The conversation was becoming small-talkish, and Crucie was getting enough of it; she liked to hear about her parents, but that didn't take away her lingering fears. Eventually she asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could.

"Professor Dumbledore, will you send me to Azkaban?"

The headmaster raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Lestrange, I don't know where you get the idea. You are a student of Hogwarts, an underage one at that, and you have committed no punishable criminal offences."

"Punishable criminal offences?"

Crucie echoed. Dumbledore nodded, sending her a warm smile.

"There is this funny legal quirk in wizarding law, something we inherited from the muggle system. Does the phrase "_sine lex nulla poena_" mean anything to you?"

"Without law no punishment."

For once Crucie was grateful that uncle Lucius had insisted she would learn Latin…

"Very good, Miss Lestrange. Always nice to see students know their Latin. Anyway, that phrase is a basic part of our laws; it means one cannot be punished for a certain act if there is no law describing said act as a crime. You are the first person to experience your particular problem, so however amoral and dangerous your actions may be there is no law that states using a natural torture talent is a punishable offence. With other words, as long as you do not use your wand or pronounce the curse you should be relatively safe."

He looked very severely at Crucie.

"I hope you realize this does not place you in a situation of complete freedom; it is merely a protective matter. Wizarding law is a complicated network of laws, legal subscripts, decrees, and declarations… If people want to condemn you they sure will find a way and I can't vouch for the public opinion in your case."

Crucie bit her lip.

"So it comes down to me having to stop torturing people."

Dumbledore looked a bit saddened now.

"I don't even know if you can, Miss Lestrange. But a solution will be found. Now… I have a few books you may be interested in. If you are worried about the legal status of yourself, they may clarify things a bit."

The books he handed her were called "_Legislative Guide To The Proper Use Of Magic"_, "_Magical Misdemeanours in Modern Law" _and "_Magical Moral Perspective"._

"I think I have taken up enough of your time, Miss Lestrange. You can go."

Holding the books and in slight confusion Crucie made her way out of the Headmaster's office. Wasn't he going to punish her? She was a bit unsettled by it all, and decided to crawl up in her dorm and read Dumbledore's books.

**(Author's Notes)**

**So... Important. IMPORTANT. If no one reviews I won't update this story anymore. You have no idea how much I hate seeing not a single review, and that's what happened last chapter. If no one reads this, I feel like I'm totally ****wasting time writing it. So please, please PLEASE review! **

**If you don't like it anymore at a certain point, just let me know what it is you don't like... I can never get better if no one gives me advice... Please? **

**Also... Dumbledore hopes he can "reform" Crucie by making her see her own actions as wrong through self-study. I leave it to you to guess how well that will go. The portraits... does anyone else think Elizabeth Burke and Newton Scamander really need to get together? I feel sexual tension there xD **

**I'm nearing the end of the "first book". Advice needed! Write the next as a sequel, or add it to this story? (it can be read separately, but I would advise to read this story first for details)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Epilogue: Secrets

_(Epilogue Of The First Book)_

"It's unfair," Crucie said. "We had won!"

"Tssssss… I mussssst ssssay I agree, Misssss Lestrange…"

Salazar's hissing accent was even worse when he was slightly upset, which he definitely was after the events that had cost his house the House Cup. He did realize though that Crucie wasn't this upset simply because they had lost the yearly house competition.

"Sssssoo… Misssss Granger did not tell you anything, did ssssshe?"

Right on the spot.

"I feel so left out! I have been ploughing my way through Dumbledore's horribly boring, demeaning, patronizing books on wizarding law and ethics, and… and in the meantime they were having a great adventure! And I knew Quirrell was evil all the way before, I could have saved them the trouble of spying on Snape."

"But ssssshould you meet them in the Wizengamot, you sssshall have the advantage…"

Crucie threw Salazar a "really now" look.

"No one ever confides in me. Why is it that people always think that because I'm dark that I can't be trusted? It's as if they think a Slytherin can't keep a secret."

Salazar shook his head and thought about it.

"I trusssssst you… to a reassssonable degree, I ssssuppossse…"

That made Crucie smile again.

"Thanks…"

"I sssshouldn't tell you thissss… It'sssss been explicitly forbidden me to ssssspeak about thisssss… But I'm a portrait, an old one at that… they can hardly blame me…"

Crucie was practically biting her tongue in excitement as the founder lingered longer with his story.

"Please tell me, Mr Slytherin, I won't tell anyone!"

"Promisssssse me thissss, Misss Lestrange… Sssswear on our magic that you will not ssssspeak of it or ssssshow it to anyone who doesn't already know."

And Crucie formally took out her wand and made the vow. Afterwards, she looked wide-eyed at Salazar. He nodded.

"Alssssso… You may be curioussssss… but promissssse to me, not on your magic but to me persssonally… That won't go sssssearch for it yoursssself."

"I promise."

Again the founder nodded. Then he granted Crucie one of his rare smiles, and started his story.

"There isssss a whole network of corridorsssss, cellsssss, roomsssss and tubesssss under the school… Mosssst of them are… cassssually forgotten. There isssss a chamber down there, a complex… called the Chamber of Ssssssecrets…"

When Salazar finished his story and reminded Crucie of the promises she had made, it was time for her to go pack, as they would be leaving the school for the summer holiday. She looked forward to seeing uncle Rabastan again, and uncle Lucius, and Mr Burke, and even Aunt Narcissa despite her love of pink robes… yet she was sure she would miss her daily conversations with the portrait of the Slytherin founder. The secret he had told her was merely that there was a special room, reachable only by the truly worthy, under Hogwarts, in which a creature lived he affectionately referred to as his Regina, his queen. She knew the layout and architecture of the place in detail now, but not the location of the entrance. Salazar had warned her that she should never try to find the room, let alone enter it should she find it… Crucie wondered why, but she guessed that ever since the room had been closed the creature living there hadn't seen anyone, and it would perhaps be very violent and dangerous when handled by someone without a ton of experience in the field. In any case she was happy that now there was a secret she and the portrait alone knew of…

**(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE)**

**The story is not finished... **

**Prepare for "An Accursed Gift", in which Crucie rekindles friendships, finds out that diaries know little common courtesy, accidentally cruciates someone (who kind of deserved it), meets another lover of muggle-tech, pays of a debt and accidentally discovers the best way to cure a ghost of chronic depression.**

**PLEASE DEAR REVIEWERS!**

**I love you all. I know I may have come over as slightly obnoxious while begging for reviews, but truly, they're what keeps me writing! **

**I would love it if you people would read and review the sequel of A Gift And A Curse! **

** s/9132036/1/An-Accursed-Gift**


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